Ex-Exec Claims Patriots Wanted To Draft This Speedy Wideout

The Patriots walked out of the 2024 NFL Draft with two wide receivers who added much-needed talent to a group lacking it, but there were other wideouts Eliot Wolf and his team was interested in.

ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported after the draft that New England tried to trade back into the first round at No. 32 with the Buffalo Bills. But the Bills decided to trade down again after trading pick No. 28 to the Kansas City Chiefs. It could be surmised that the two receivers picked at the end of the first round and the top of the second round — Xavier Legette and Keon Coleman — were pass-catchers the Patriots wanted to pursue. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler also added post-draft that the Pats hoped Legette would fall to them at No. 34.

New England walked out with Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, two wideouts Jerod Mayo talked up after the draft. But there might have been another wide receiver it might have been interested in, and there might have been another trade discussion with Buffalo.

Former NFL executive Michael Lombardi on Friday was on the “Pat McAfee Show” and claimed the Patriots were in “high-speed pursuit” of Xavier Worthy and tried to trade up to pick No. 28 to draft the Texas product. The Bills acquired the Chiefs’ first, third- and seventh-round picks in exchange for their first, fourth and seventh, which seemed to be the better deal.

"New England was in high speed pursuit of Xavier Worthy and they wanted him badly..

They were making calls to make that pick and the Bills took the offer from the Chiefs"@mlombardiNFL #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/Ls65H2eGq4

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 31, 2024

Lombardi noted how the old adage was to not trade within your division, but he was confused as to why the Bills would make a trade with the Chiefs given they are the more immediate threat than the Patriots.

McAfee didn’t seem to read Reiss’ original report and when asking for clarification, Lombardi doubled down and noted the talks were for pick No. 28 and that New England really wanted Worthy.

Time will tell which team was correct in their wide receiver selections, but if Lombardi is right, it seems like the Patriots were rejected in trade talks with the Bills twice on draft night.