Top 5 Patriots Trade Partners for the No. 2 Pick in the NFL Draft

The New England Patriots Week 16 loss to the Buffalo Bills did not move them up the NFL standings. However, their thirteenth defeat did move them up the 2025 NFL Draft order, at least temporarily. With the Las Vegas Raiders (3-13) winning on Sunday, New England now holds the second overall pick in the draft.

The draft order is subject to change. The Patriots have two games remaining. They can still finish with anywhere from three to five wins. Those potential wins could be the difference between drafting first overall, falling to tenth in the draft order, or landing somewhere in between.

For this exercise, the assumption is that New England will remain in the No. 2 spot. That is guaranteed to happen if the Patriots and New York Giants both lose their final two games. Based on their combined 5-27 record this season, it doesn’t seem like a stretch. Fortunately for the Patriots, a top-two pick is extremely valuable in this draft.

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Nothing gets teams to overpay to move up a draft board like a potential franchise quarterback. While this year’s QB class isn’t as strong as 2024, there are two players projected to be first-round selections. Whether Colorado’s Shadeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward are worthy of being the first two picks in April is irrelevant. If NFL executives believe they could be franchise quarterbacks, they will go 1-2. So a team like New England, not in need of a quarterback and holding the No. 2 overall pick, would be in a powerful position.

A look at the Top 5 Patriots trade partners for a move down from the second overall selection:

5. New Orleans Saints

New Orleans signed Derek Carr to a four-year $150 million deal in 2023. After two seasons, the idea of looking for their next quarterback makes a lot of sense. Carr will finish the 2024 season on the sidelines with a broken hand. However, the veteran will be 34 in Week 1 of 2025 and the Saints might be ready for a fresh start. Their head coaching job could be open, barring interim Darren Rizzi being retained. An opportunity for a new coach-quarterback duo to breathe some life into this franchise could be a welcomed move.

The Saints already have five wins in 2024, placing them at tenth in the current draft order. New England can still add an elite pass-rusher at No. 10 if they address their offensive line issues in free agency. Because the Patriots would be falling eight spots, a 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 first might be the additional compensation needed. Perhaps that is too rich for a Saints team that can ride out Carr for another season with hopes of Archie Manning down the road.

4. New York Jets

Trading with a division rival to potentially give them a franchise quarterback is a risk. However, if that team is willing to pay what it takes to acquire the pick, so be it. New England needs to worry about what will give them the best chance at rebuilding. If that means providing the New York Jets with a pathway to a potential franchise quarterback, no problem.

Do Jets fans want another year of the Aaron Rodgers experience? If not, what are the options? Sam Darnold already got run out of town once. It’s hard to imagine that returning to New Jersey is high on his wish list. Other veteran options include Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins or Pittsburgh’s Russell Wilson. Will the next regime want to bring in a veteran or start fresh with whichever quarterback is left of Sanders and Ward?

3. Tennessee Titans

In many ways, the Titans are an ideal trade partner for the Patriots. Tennessee sits at No. 4, meaning the Patriots only drop two spots in the move. The Titans appear to be ready to move on from Will Levis, and rookie head coach Brian Callahan would love to bring in a quarterback he can work with to turn things around in Tennessee.

The Titans may try to make a run at Sam Darnold in free agency. They were willing to spend on wide receiver Calvin Ridley in free agency a year ago; now they need somebody who can get him the ball. Would No. 4, No. 36, and a second-round pick in 2025 be enough for New England to make backward two spots?

2. Cleveland Browns

The Browns are an intriguing team. They made one of the worst trades in NFL history with their trade for Deshaun Watson, while also guaranteeing him $230 million. Is Cleveland ready to move from Watson? If so, a rookie quarterback is a smart move financially. Watson is a financial liability whether or not he’s in the lineup. He was unproductive and will be returning from a season-ending injury.

While most trade offers will be based around draft compensation (a 2025 first-round pick and multiple other high selections), a deal between the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots could involve players. If the likes of Alex Van Pelt, T.C. McCartney, and Scott Peters remain on New England’s coaching staff, all three worked with Cleveland previously. Landing a few veterans as throw-ins could make their offer appeal more to the Patriots than others.

1. Las Vegas Raiders

One thing that became painfully clear during “The Dynasty” docuseries is that Patriots owner Robert Kraft wants nobody to blame him for Tom Brady exiting New England in free agency. Kraft recounted private conversations he had with Bill Belichick to emphasize this point. Now he has a chance to further please Brady, a minority owner of the Raiders, by helping him land his franchise quarterback for Las Vegas.

The Kraft family reportedly does not get involved in football decisions, though making an exception for Tom Brady seems reasonable to assume. Las Vegas lands a potential franchise quarterback to pair with a new head coach (perhaps Mike Vrabel). The New England Patriots drop three spots, grab the best player available, and get a few bonus draft picks that the Raiders acquired from the Jets in the Davante Adams deal.