Adam Schefter Adds Context To Patriots-Vikings Pre-Draft Trade Rumors

The New England Patriots kept the suspicion alive with their “open for business” statements, but they were never going to move off the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Schefter reported the Vikings had multiple trade discussions with the Patriots for No. 3 overall. Minnesota did not talk with any team more than it did New England leading up to the draft, per Schefter. And those conversations revolved around various pick packages, not for a player like Justin Jefferson.

Ultimately, though, New England was locked in. So much so that when Schefter reached out to a source inside the organization on Thursday, the NFL insider was told there was “zero chance” New England would trade out.

“‘Zero chance. Zero,'” Schefter relayed when he appeared on the “Pat McAfee Show” on Monday afternoon. “So clearly the Patriots were determined to stick where they were. They knew, like everybody else, Caleb Williams was going No. 1, they knew Jayden (Daniels) was going No. 2 and that they were going to be able to take Drake Maye.”

Sport Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported the Patriots received offers from both the Vikings and New York Giants. Minnesota’s offer, which Breer said came about a week before the event, included its two first-rounders in 2024 (Nos. 11 and 23) along with a 2025 first-rounder. However, the Vikings also would have benefited from some pick swaps in that agreement, per Breer.

The Giants offered the Patriots their 2025 first-rounder to move from No. 6 to third overall, Breer reported. Schefter told McAfee he suspected the Giants were trying to move up for left tackle Joe Alt, not one of the top quarterbacks, but stressed he didn’t know whether or not it was the case.

“But New England never came close to dealing that pick,” Schefter told McAfee. “They were very consistent in the idea that it was going to take a lot for them to move, it was highly unlikely that they were going to move, and the text came in a few hours before the draft ‘zero chance’ they’re moving. It was consistent all along they were going to stay.”

The Patriots ultimately selected Maye, the North Carolina product who was considered one of the top three consensus quarterbacks. After the selection of Maye on Thursday night, Wolf said the Patriots knew their decision for weeks.