What Would Patriots Receive In Trade Down With QB-Needy Raiders?

Many have argued the best first-round outcome for the New England Patriots is the most boring one: Trade down.

Because the ironic thing about the position the Patriots are in is that New England has so many holes to fill that it might actually be best to not address any of them with the No. 3 overall pick. Opinions on that will differ, of course.

One thing not up for debate, though, is that the Patriots would have suitors.

There are a handful of teams -- Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, etc. -- who need a quarterback. And there's a chance any of them could try to jump up the draft board to acquire one.

While speaking with reporters during his pre-NFL Scouting Combine conference call Thursday, draft expert Daniel Jeremiah was asked about one such scenario.

How much would it cost the Raiders, who currently have the 13th pick, to trade up for New England's third selection?

In such a trade, the Patriots would receive No. 13 overall, two additional first-round picks (2025, 2026) and a third-round pick in 2025.

"It's not cheap," Jeremiah said. "... If you love a quarterback and he can be your guy for the next decade-plus, I could get behind that."

There's reason to believe the Raiders could be inclined to do so. Las Vegas is starting fresh with first-year head coach Antonio Pierce, who spent three seasons with quarterback Jayden Daniels when the two were at Arizona State. Pierce himself has even hinted at the idea. Las Vegas struggled to get production from the quarterback position in 2023 and has moved on from Jimmy Garoppolo.

And if not the Raiders, maybe the Falcons (No. 8), Vikings (No. 11) or Broncos (No. 12) would consider it. Both Atlanta and Minnesota reportedly have shown interest already. New England might not receive the exact same package given those team's first-rounders in 2024 are slightly better, but it's not a drastic difference. The Patriots would likely receive a similar bundle.

It would give the Patriots the draft capital to address more holes, whether that be trading Las Vegas' future picks for more 2024 selections, or having more selections down the line.

What do you think? Should the Patriots trade down from the No. 3 pick? Leave your opinion in the comments below.