NFL insider believes Patriots will ‘try like hell’ to trade down in first round
"If they can do that, and move down to a reasonable spot to get a tackle, I think they’ll still do that."
If both Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter are off the board by the time the Patriots land on the clock at No. 4 in the 2025 NFL Draft, could New England opt to trade down in order to further stockpile picks?
It’s a sound strategy, given that New England could conceivably draft a starting offensive tackle (Will Campbell, Armand Membou) further down in the top 10, add another pick or two, or even select another coveted prospect like Penn State tight end Tyler Warren.
Speaking on WEEI Tuesday, NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran predicted that the Patriots will look to move down from that No. 4 slot — especially if both Carter and Hunter are no longer available.
“They’re gonna try like hell to move it,” Curran said. “And move down, and stay in the top 10. So that’s the caveat. If they can do that, and move down to a reasonable spot to get a tackle, I think they’ll still do that.
“If they have to stick and pick, I would think they’ll take Campbell. I’ve continued to say Tyler Warren, I hope I’m right just because I wanna be right. But I would imagine they’ll do what the sensible thing to do is.”
ESPN’s Mike Reiss added on Wednesday that the Patriots are willing to trade down at the right price — but noted that several teams have been hesitant to pay the price needed to move up into the top five.
“If there’s one thing to know about the Patriots intentions, it’s that they want to come out of this draft with more infrastructure around quarterback Drake Maye,” Reiss said on ESPN. “They feel they have their quarterback of the future.
“Now it’s about putting more pieces around him to help him be successful. Now I am told that they are willing to move down from that No. 4 pick — but at this point, interest in the pick has been modest.”
Reiss’ comments also fall in line with a report from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini about the dearth of blue-chip prospects present in this draft class beyond players like Carter, Hunter, and potentially Boise State running back Ashton Jenaty.
“Many evaluators have shared that some players expected to go in the top 10 are comparable to players who might still be on the board in the 20s,” Russini wrote. “One league source said, “Picks 4, 5, 6 and 7 can get the same player at 20 that they can get at their current slots.”
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