Patriots reportedly tried to grab a second first-round pick through a division rival
The Bills reportedly turned down the Patriots' inquires to move back into the first round Thursday.
The Patriots wound up leaving the 2024 NFL Draft with two wide receivers, but it seems like they wanted to nab one in the first round.
New England made an offer to the Buffalo Bills to acquire the 32nd pick of the draft on Thursday, ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported in his Sunday notes column.
Of course, that trade didn’t come to fruition. After the Bills traded down from the 28th overall pick in a move with the Chiefs, they opted to only move down one more spot. They accepted a deal with the Panthers, which included the 33rd overall pick and a fifth-round selection (No. 141 overall) for the 32nd pick and a sixth-round pick (No. 200).
The Panthers wound up drafting South Carolina’s Xavier Legette with the pick they acquired, someone who was speculated to be a Patriots target. Additionally, the Bills selected Florida State’s Keon Coleman with the 33rd pick. Coleman was believed to be on the Patriots’ radar entering Day 2 of the draft, NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reported.
Reiss also believes that the Patriots had their eyes on drafting one of Legette or Coleman if they traded up, believing Legette was the receiver they favored of the two.
Legette was a standout at South Carolina, but he didn’t break out until his fifth season on campus. The lengthy 6-foot-3 wideout had 71 receptions for 1,255 yards and seven touchdowns this past season after recording fewer than 500 receiving yards in his first four seasons in college. His strong combine performance (4.39 40, 40-inch vertical) also made him an intriguing receiver prospect.
Coleman, meanwhile, was one of Florida State’s top stars this postseason after transferring in from Michigan State. He had 50 receptions for 658 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, making several highlight plays. While Coleman’s combine performance wasn’t as impressive (4.61 40, 38-inch vertical), his ability to make contested grabs has been lauded by scouts.
The Patriots ultimately traded down from their second pick in the draft, moving the 34th pick and a fifth-rounder (No. 137) to the Chargers for the 37th pick and a fourth-rounder (No. 110). Los Angeles also drafted a receiver in the trade up, nabbing Georgia’s Ladd McConkey.
However, the Patriots used both picks in the Chargers trade for receiver help. They used the second-round selection on Washington’s Ja’Lynn Polk and the fourth-round pick on UCF’s Javon Baker.
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