One of the most criticized position groups on the New England Patriots’ roster has actually been sneaky-good to start the 2025 season.
Criticized all offseason for their lack of a true No. 1 wide receiver for young quarterback Drake Maye, the Patriots have been surprisingly productive down the field with Kayshon Boutte, Stefon Diggs, and DeMario Douglas doing the bulk of the damage.
It turns out the Patriots have a nice stable of pass catchers when you factor in Mack Hollins, running back TreVeyon Henderson, and tight ends Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper.
There’s always room for more at the skill positions, though, and with Boutte now nursing a hamstring issue, Patriots fans were hoping to see their 7-2 football team act boldly prior to Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.
Unfortunately, the perfect trade target for the Patriots’ wide receiver room is now heading to the AFC South, and it’s fair for fans to question head coach Mike Vrabel: What happened?
The New England Patriots just missed a golden chance to bring Jakobi Meyers back to Foxboro
Jakobi Meyers should never have been a Las Vegas Raider. He shouldn’t be a Jacksonville Jaguar now, either.
Bill Belichick’s decision to quibble over Meyers’ market value in 2023, and ultimately pass on the home-grown receiver in favor of JuJu Smith-Schuster, is an old wound that doesn’t need to be reopened.
That Meyers openly wanted out of Las Vegas this season, and the Patriots didn’t come calling with serious trade offers, is just as perplexing.
It’s no secret that Meyers would like a contract extension. The three-year deal he signed with the Raiders is set to expire in 2025, meaning there’s a risk that the 28-year-old could test the free agent waters once again in 2026.
But now that we know the asking price — per NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Jaguars are sending fourth- and sixth-round draft picks to Vegas in exchange for Meyers — the Patriots sat on their hands and whiffed on the perfect depth piece for their blossoming WR room.
Surprise: The #Raiders are, in fact, dealing WR Jakobi Meyers to the #Jaguars, per me and @TomPelissero. It’s a fourth and a sixth for Meyers.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 4, 2025
A few months after his initial request to be traded, Meyers is dealt. pic.twitter.com/0xKl54x9bw
Meyers has an obvious connection to offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and the Patriots' system, so he could have stepped in and contributed right away. With Boutte ailing and the team getting nothing from rookie Kyle Williams, snagging a player of Meyers’ caliber for a couple of Day 3 picks feels like a no-brainer; he’s one year removed from an 87-catch, 1,000-yard receiving season with the Raiders, who have had a carousel of subpar quarterbacks throughout his tenure there.
As for the compensation, the Patriots already have multiple picks in the fourth and sixth rounds for 2026. Meyers’ expiring contract makes him eligible for the NFL’s compensatory pick formula, too, adding a layer of leverage if he were to bolt Foxboro in free agency for the second time in four years.
There was a ton of big-name player movement at this year’s deadline, and the Patriots just missed a move that would’ve checked every box for the rest of 2025 (and potentially beyond).