After months of speculation, the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles finalized a trade featuring wide receiver A.J. Brown on Monday. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Patriots will give up their first-round pick in the 2028 draft and a 2027 fifth-round pick that will be the better of New England’s two selections.
Giving up a first-round pick sounds steep for Brown, who will turn 29 at the end of June and had 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns in a moody 2025 season for the Eagles.
But in the end, the Patriots may have gotten the upper hand in the deal, as giving up their 2028 first-rounder may be a small victory compared to if they had to give up their 2027 first-round pick.
Patriots win big by hanging onto 2027 first-round pick after A.J. Brown trade
The Patriots are coming off a Super Bowl appearance in 2026, but there are some things working against them going into next season. After facing a last-place schedule one year ago, the Patriots will face a first-place schedule this year.
While trading for Brown helps the Patriots’ offense survive that gauntlet that includes the Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, and Kansas City Chiefs on the schedule, it’s conceivable that New England won’t match their 14-win output from last season even if they don’t suffer from regression.
The last part is another thing Patriots fans have to worry about. While New England’s defense is a veteran-laden unit, the offense is still a young group, even with the addition of Brown and free agent pickup Romeo Doubs. With the offensive line integrating first-round pick Caleb Lomu, there are plenty of moving parts that could have the Patriots climbing the draft order.
Even if that means the Patriots are picking in the 15th to 20th range next spring, that’s still a premium pick to give up with the quality of next year’s draft class. While the quarterbacks, including Texas’s Arch Manning and Oregon’s Dante Moore, aren’t useful to the Patriots since they have Drake Maye, there are plenty of prospects to build around him, including Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith, Alabama’s Ryan Coleman-Williams, and Texas’s Cam Coleman.
The defense could also benefit in next year’s draft as South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart, Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons, and Georgia safety K.J. Bolden could be available for the Patriots when they’re on the clock.
The other thing to consider is where the Patriots could be in 2028. Maye flirted with a Most Valuable Player award in his second season in the NFL, and it’s possible he could take another leap in 2027 even if the win-loss record doesn’t show it. By 2028, the Patriots could be an elite team, giving Philadelphia a late first-round pick in a draft that may not match the hype of the 2027 class.
The Eagles get another first-rounder to play with, but that might not be the Patriots' problem, as they reside in the NFC. For now, they get the No. 1 target they desperately need and do it at a price that keeps one of their biggest assets in the fold.
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