Longtime Patriots Rival Might Make Sense As Trade Partner For No. 3

The Denver Broncos have been unafraid to make bold offseason moves over the last two years. Could their biggest splash be ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft?

Pro Football Focus writer Sam Monson recently wrote an article in which he tried to predict the biggest surprises in the NFL draft. He started with the Broncos, a team Monson believes might be lying in wait ahead of the first round and could make a big move to get the quarterback of its future.

"The Broncos don't have the ammunition that Minnesota does to maneuver in the first round, but they may have even more desire to make it happen," he wrote on the PFF website. "I wouldn't be shocked if they find a way of trading up to No. 3 overall for the guy Payton covets."

The Patriots, of course, own that No. 3 pick and haven't been shy about their willingness to at least listen to trade proposals. Many have speculated the Vikings are the team that could move up to No. 3, as they have a pair of first-round picks this year, but if they don't have the stomach to part with those assets, it could open the door for a team like Denver.

The Broncos, as Monson notes, are the team that "seems most desperate for a quarterback."

As part of the story, Monson also includes a screenshot from the PFF Draft Simulator in which he worked out a mock trade for Denver to move up from No. 12 to the third selection in a deal with the Patriots.

Denver acquires: No. 3 pick
New England acquires: No. 12 pick, No. 76 pick, 2025 first-round pick

Monson then predicts Michael Penix would be one of the biggest draft risers, saying he could go in the top half of the first round. So, if Denver liked Penix and believed Minnesota would pass on the lefty, there's no reason to trade up. But maybe they love Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye, which could lead to trading up.

Regardless, it would be an interesting debate inside the Patriots front office. New England really needs a quarterback around which it can build. It also has a roster badly in need of upgrades, and the most prudent decision might be to gather as many assets as possible.

The big question for Eliot Wolf, Jerod Mayo, Robert Kraft and whoever else is offering input on what the Patriots should do at the draft is whether a third-round pick this year and a first-round pick next are enough to justify moving down. Mayo famously said the Patriots would need a "bag" to consider moving the pick, and NBC Sports Boston's Tom E. Curran reported it would take more than three first-round picks to get a deal done. Obviously, the Patriots can say whatever they want in that regard, but unless someone falls absolutely head over heels for the quarterback still available at No. 3, it seems unlikely the Patriots get that offer.

So maybe they just stand pat. Perhaps the asking price comes down a little bit. If the latter is the case, the offer Monson conjured still feels a little light. The calculus is slightly complicated by the fact that Denver doesn't have a second-round pick. Coincidentally, the Broncos had to part with that selection -- that turned up to be No. 45 -- to pry Payton out of New Orleans.

Should the Patriots make this trade? Sound off in the comments and leave your counterproposal.