Eliot Wolf not trading the third pick would be a disservice to New England Patriots
The New England Patriots have a golden opportunity in front of them. No, it’s not staying at No. 3 in this year's draft and taking a quarterback. It’s trading back to collect multiple assets and help speed up the rebuild process.
With that, Eliot Wolf, Director of Scouting and de facto GM, has a massive decision on his hands. The decision will without a doubt decide how the next 5-10 years go for the Patriots. If Wolf fails to trade the number three pick, it would be a massive disservice to the Patriots.
The biggest reason the Patriots should trade the pick is because they are not ready for a franchise-caliber quarterback. They still have multiple glaring holes on their roster that they need to address before taking a gamble on a quarterback. The Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders are arguably in better positions than the Patriots, which is why they can take a swing at a quarterback.
"The team is not ready for a newbie." @tomecurran urges Eliot Wolf and the Patriots to trade back from the No. 3 pick in the NFL Draft... @PhilAPerry has his own rebuttal 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/r1sVZs27Yd
— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) March 19, 2024
The best avenue for the Patriots to take is to trade back and get multiple picks that can be used to address holes on the roster. The team the Patriots should look to do business with is the Minnesota Vikings.
The Patriots could receive a package from the Vikings that includes picks 11, 23, and a 2025 first-round pick. That is a tremendous haul that could grant the Patriots multiple studs.
If Patriots are smart. Trade 3rd Pick to Vikings. Go Offensive Tackle, WR at 11. Or try to get back in position for MH3, Nabers or Alt. Go Michael Penix or Bo Nix at either 23 or 34. Don’t try to pretend Maye or Jayden will be a Franchise Savior. Roster is bad. Stockpile assets.
— Chad Forbes (@NFLDraftBites) March 20, 2024
In this scenario, the Patriots would have three picks in the top 34 this year and two firsts in 2025. I would want the Patriots to draft a wide receiver or tackle at 11, a quarterback at 23 (preferably Michael Penix Jr.), and then take whichever position they didn’t take at 11, take it at 34.
If the Patriots drafted well, they could potentially come away with studs at the three most important offensive positions.
The trade route is much safer than just putting all your eggs in one basket for a quarterback with the third overall pick. Avoiding a potentially franchise-altering trade would be a massive mistake by Wolf and the Patriots.
Read more from Musket Fire:
manual