Patriots Locked to Major Trade Proposal with Panthers

Patriots Connected to Potential Blockbuster Trade with Panthers

Could the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers pull off a major trade during the NFL Draft?

Despite spending considerable money this offseason, the Patriots haven’t fully addressed their most pressing needs. Heading into free agency, their two biggest concerns were at wide receiver and on the offensive line, but so far, they’ve only signed Mack Hollins and Morgan Moses—far from enough to solve those issues.

Now, New England may need to turn to the NFL Draft to find solutions, and Michael DeVito of Musket Fire suggests that a big trade with the Carolina Panthers could be the answer.

DeVito proposes that the Patriots trade their No. 4 overall pick to the Panthers in exchange for the eighth pick, along with the 57th and 74th picks, a significant return for New England.

With the eighth pick, DeVito predicts the Patriots would select Travis Hunter, though that seems unlikely, as it’s highly improbable that Hunter would still be available at that spot. However, the Patriots could potentially land wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan instead.

DeVito also envisions the Patriots bolstering their offensive line by drafting Aireontae Ersery and Josh Conerly Jr. with their two second-round picks (the second of which would come from the Panthers deal).

The Patriots may indeed move down from the fourth overall pick. With quarterback Drake Maye already in place, there’s no need to target quarterbacks like Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders. Instead, they might aim to accumulate more draft capital to strengthen their roster.

However, if Hunter remains available at No. 4, it’s hard to imagine the Patriots trading down. Likewise, if the Panthers were to acquire the fourth overall pick, they’d likely be targeting Hunter as well.