The New England Patriots have had a lot of speculation on what they are going to do with the fourth pick in the draft, and recently, the most popular answer has been that they should trade back in the first round.
This year's draft is very top-heavy, and if both Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter are taken in the top three, the Patriots would be better off getting more assets for the pick than taking a chance by reaching for a prospect.
One team that has popped up a lot when talking about trading up in the draft has been the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys just came off one of their most disappointing regular seasons in recent history, and their owner, Jerry Jones, has been under a lot of fire and diress in the media.
With the big names gone in free agency, the only way for Jones to take some of the heat off of him would be to trade up in the draft and make a splash by landing a big name prospect.
The Patriots would send the fourth pick to Dallas and a day-three draft selection, while the Cowboys send back 12th overall, a 2025 second-rounder, and a 2026 third-rounder. The Patriots could also look to target players like cornerback Kemon Hall, cornerback Caelen Carson, linebacker Damone Clark, or defensive end Marshawn Kneeland as well if they do not want additional late picks.
Hall and Carson are young cornerbacks who could give the Patriots the depth they need before the start of next season. The Cowboys already have Trevon Diggs and Daron Bland, and they also just traded for Kaiir Elam so they could give one of those guys up. Hall and Kneeland are young defensive players with high ceilings that could give the Patriots more depth as well.
There are multiple options the Patriots could go with the 12th pick, too. If they want to go offensive line, which is probably their biggest need, guys like Armand Membou, Kelvin Banks Jr, and Tyler Booker are all top offensive line prospects that are projected to still be available at pick 12. The Patriots would be filling a big hole with talented prospects that would perfectly round out their offseason.
The Patriots do not have to go offensive line with this pick if they feel they can still get some talented guys in the second or third round. They need to build on their defensive line, and guys like Mike Green from Marshall, Walter Nolan from Mississippi, and Shemar Stewart from Texas A&M are also projected to be there.
New England has also been rumored to still be looking for another weapon or two to give Drake Maye, even after the signing of Stefon Diggs. If Tetairoa McMillan is still there, they could get him along with other guys like Tyler Warren, Emeka Egbuka, Matthew Golden, or Colston Loveland.
The Cowboys will most likely pick either Ashton Jeanty, Tetairoa McMillan, Will Johnson, Travis Hunter, Mason Graham, Jalon Walker or Jahdae Barron. All way better guys then they would of been able to get at their pick.
This could be a huge trade for both teams. This would allow the Cowboys to get a stud, make the fans happy, and take some of the criticism off of themselves. This would also allow the Patriots to still get a really good first round pick as well as a young player or some more draft capital. The Patriots should see if they can get a deal like this worked out come April.
Related: Patriots Legends Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman Share Thoughts on All-Pro Pickup
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This story was originally published March 30, 2025 at 1:00 PM.
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