Patriots should consider trading down with under-the-radar team in 2024 Draft

The Giants have a lot of holes to fill. Two running backs are hitting free agency, and 11 other members of their offense are out of contract, too! But they do have a quarterback contracted.

What they really need is to find a way to keep him in one piece. Joe Alt would go a long way toward helping solve that problem. Or, with Saquon leaving, they could use another shining star in that offense.

Whether you love or hate Daniel Jones, we can all agree that he isn’t exactly Jim McMahon when it comes to being a brash, loud-mouthed quarterback. 

Marvin Harrison Jr. would bring plenty of star power to the Big Apple like Odell Beckham Jr. did when he arrived in 2014. Harrison Jr. Is the most talented player in the draft. And as the son of a Super Bowl-winning eight-time pro bowler, he knows what it takes to make it in the big league.  

The 2023 Giants were a bit of a dumpster fire, in no small part because their $160 million starting quarterback only played six games. Daniel Jones signed his four-year deal before the season started. But it has a break clause at the end of the 2024 season.

So, the Giants may even be looking for a starting quarterback in this year's draft. 

And that’s where the Patriots come in.

How the Patriots and Giants could shake up the first round of the draft 

It seems almost certain that the first two picks in the draft will be used to take quarterbacks. So, if the Giants want to secure the last remaining big three quarterbacks, they’ll have to jump the order and trade with New England. And that’s where the fun begins.

The Giants have the sixth overall pick to trade up with and two second-round picks. New York acquired the Seahawks' second-round pick, the 47th overall. That should probably be enough for the Patriots to agree to a trade. 

Trading back three spots in the first round wouldn’t alter the Patriots’ big board too much. It would mean Marvin Harrison Jr. wasn't available anymore, but they’re unlikely to draft him at three anyway.

Rome Odunze, Malik Nabers, and even Brian Thomas Jr. would be available, though. There really is a plethora of receivers to choose from in this class. 

Rome Odunze is 6 feet 3 inches tall and 200 lbs. So, in any other draft class, he’d be the big, powerful receiver everyone was talking about. He’s not just a strong receiver, though. He ran a 4.45-second 40-yard dash at the combine.

Unsurprisingly, he was almost unstoppable in his final year in college. Odunze caught 13 touchdowns in 15 games last year and averaged 17.8 yards per touch! 

Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. are two of the reasons scouts think Jayden Daniels is the new Lamar Jackson. He really isn’t. He’s fine, but he won’t be the next two-time MVP.

Nabers is 6 feet 1 inches tall and only 188 lbs. But he caught 89 passes as a senior at LSU. And he racked up 1,569 receiving yards with 14 touchdowns. Thomas Jr. Is 6 feet 5 inches tall and ran the second-fastest 40-yard dash at the combine.

He clocked 4.33 seconds, the same time DK Metcalf ran at the 2019 combine. And if that isn’t enough reason to draft him at 6, Thomas Jr. Caught 68 passes at LSU last year for 1,117 yards, and he hauled in 17 touchdowns in 13 games! 

But it’s the 47th pick where the Patriots can find some serious value. They could take Jonah Elliss, a pass rusher from Utah, or Khyree Jackson, a cornerback from Oregon.

Elliss comes from good NFL stock. His father, Luther, played in the league for 10 years! Nine in Detroit and an extra year in Denver. But that’s not all. Jonah has three older brothers who all play in the NFL. One of whom, Christian, ended the 2023 season with the Patriots. Jonah racked up 12 sacks and 16 tackles for a loss in 10 games for Utah in 2023. 

Khyree Jackson would be the perfect replacement for JC Jackson and Jalen Mills, who left free agency.

Jackson is a 6-foot-4-inch defensive back who transferred to Oregon from Alabama after Nick Saban suspended him. His 10-yard split at the combine was in the top 87%, and his broad jump was in the top 97%. He’d be a great addition to an already exciting defensive backfield that lacked the required depth in 2023. 

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