As NFL insider Adam Schefter reported on Monday morning, the New England Patriots remain engaged with the Philadelphia Eagles on a potential trade for wide receiver A.J. Brown. The caveat is that terms of the deal can’t be finalized ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, as any move involving Brown is expected to occur on or after June 1 for salary cap purposes.
That puts the Patriots in a tricky position with Day 1 of the draft looming on Thursday night. If they pass on drafting a wide receiver with one of their 11 total selections, Patriots fans could hop online and start pre-ordering their No. 11 Brown jerseys.
But there are never any guarantees in the NFL, especially on draft weekend, which has become one of the best sports reality shows. Brown will almost certainly still be a Philadelphia Eagle on Sunday morning, due to the unavoidable $43.4 million dead-cap hit, per Over the Cap, that would come with a pre-June 1 trade. But it’s just as likely that interest in Brown increases after teams get a better view of their 2026 rosters following this week’s event.
So it would be in the Patriots’ best interest to operate in the present, with a current depth chart that does not include one of the best outside wide receivers in the NFL.
New England holds the 31st overall pick on Thursday night, and there’s a real chance they can get a piece of this year’s deep and talent-rich wide receiver group. Potential difference-makers like Washington’s Denzel Boston, Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr., and Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion could feasibly slide to the Patriots’ spot.
In that scenario, the team would have an interesting choice between adding to Drake Maye’s skill position group or turning to the trenches, either at offensive tackle or edge defender.
Bleacher Report appears to favor the latter. NFL writer Alex Ballentine specifically urged the Patriots to avoid drafting Concepcion due to his redundant size and skillset to players like DeMario Douglas and Efton Chism.
“The Patriots already have those kind of receivers,” Ballentine wrote. “They would almost certainly be better off using their first-round pick to add the right tackle of the future or a bigger-bodied outside receiver depending on how the board falls.”
Passing on this first-round WR could cost Patriots more than fans think
Deep down, Patriots fans would probably prefer a selection like Arizona State tackle Max Iheanachor or Missouri pass rusher, Zion Young. We’ve been burned by early-round wide receivers too many times to count at this point.
But let’s be honest — a wide receiver at No. 31 would add serious juice to an ascending team fresh off a trip to the Super Bowl.
Concepcion may not have the same draft pedigree of players like Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, USC’s Makai Lemon, and Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson — but he definitely has just as much NFL upside.
The Patriots just targeted Romeo Doubs in free agency, eyeing his value as a true all-around receiver who has a versatile route tree, can get open, and can line up either on the outside or in the slot. Concepcion is cut from a similar cloth.
While many project him to play mostly in the slot in the NFL due to his smaller size at 5-foot-11 and under 200 pounds, he lined up on the outside on over 65 percent of his snaps for the Aggies.
New England wound up lucking out in the 2023 NFL Draft, first trading back with tantalizing cornerback prospect Christian Gonzalez still on the board, and still landing him at No. 17 overall. Had they missed on Gonzalez? Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers was high on a lot of fans’ wish lists; he wound up going No. 23 overall that year to the Baltimore Ravens.
Concepcion has shades of Flowers’ size and play style. He’s not a contested-catch artist, but he’s a receiver who can line up everywhere and create explosive plays wherever he gets his hands on the ball. For what it’s worth, Flowers has lined up outside on 65.9 percent of his snaps with the Ravens.
There’s a chance that the Patriots could have a shot at that same prototype at No. 31 overall with Concepcion, only this time later in Round 1 with a new franchise quarterback now firmly established.
No one would knock New England for continuing to build from the trenches out. That’s a tried-and-true strategy that produces results. But the team definitely shouldn’t ignore transformative prospects at wide receiver based on height, weight, who’s already on the roster, and who might be joining it this summer.
The Patriots should be seriously considering all options here in April, with Brown as the potential cherry on top in June.
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