Here’s what a trade to No. 4 would look like for the Patriots

If the New England Patriots want to significantly move up in the 2021 NFL Draft for a quarterback, it’s possible but will be costly.

Tom Brady isn’y coming back to Foxborough until his number gets retired.

With Brady gone, the New England Patriots fell from grace last year, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Cam Newton only threw eight touchdowns in 15 games a season ago, and while he’s back and surrounded by much better weapons, the need for a long-term answer is still there.

In free agency, the Patriots added a quartet of weapons as referenced above, including receivers Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne, and tight ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry. To make those additions worthwhile, head coach Bill Belichick needs to make a big splash in the draft, finding a quality signal-caller.

To this point, the Patriots have a few options. They can hope for Newton to improve in his second year within the system. Or, they can call the San Francisco 49ers and trade a first-round pick to Jimmy Garoppolo, bringing back the original succession plan to Brady.

Or, the Patriots can call the Atlanta Falcons and see what the price is for the No. 4 overall selection. If that’s the case, here’s what a deal might look like, based off the long-standing trade value chart:

When considering the 2022 pick, most within the league look at future picks by knocking them back a round on the value chart. Therefore, this would make sense for the Falcons, who move back 11 spots in the first round and only nab a second-round choice this year. To make it worth their while, they get another first to help their rebuild in ’22.

For New England, the cost is high, but moving up 11 spots into the top five isn’t cheap.