The New England Patriots came up just short of winning it all in quarterback Drake Maye's second NFL season. The road back to the Super Bowl, though, is going to be a lot rockier, as the Pats now face a first-place schedule plus the rugged NFC North and AFC West thanks to the NFL's rotational scheduling. Running things back with last year's team likely won't be enough to deliver a title to Foxborough. New England needs to make a marquee move.
While the list of trade targets below skews towards wide receivers because of the obvious need for game-changing talent at that spot, there are a couple of non-receiver options who could help get the Patriots over the hump as well.
WR Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
Projected starting cost: first-round pick and a player
It certainly sounds like the Jaguars are willing to move wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., even amid rumors that Travis Hunter will be playing cornerback full-time in 2026 with only select packages on offense. That might make it seem like Thomas would become more important to this team's future, but with Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington on the roster and the Jags not having a first-round pick in this year's draft, a move makes sense.
Thomas looked to be on his way to the upper echelon at the position as a rookie, but major regression hit in 2025, leaving questions about what his NFL future really looks like.
Brian Thomas | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|
2024 | 87 | 1,282 | 10 |
2025 | 48 | 707 | 2 |
While Thomas isn't guaranteed to bounce back, a number of teams should be interested in betting on it to happen. The Patriots need someone who can replace Stefon Diggs, because even if the veteran is back in 2026, he doesn't have much time left on his NFL career. Thomas has the skill set to be that elite No. 1 and to grow with Drake Maye into one of the best QB-WR combos of the next half-decade.
WR A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
Projected starting cost: first-round pick
If New England would rather bet on a sure thing — albeit one with less long-term appeal — then they should see if a first-round pick plus something on Day 3 can pry A.J. Brown away from the Eagles.
Brown's dissatisfaction is common knowledge at this point. It'd be a big blow to the Philadelphia offense if they moved Brown, but if the situation becomes untenable, then there's not really another option, is there?
Is New England, a team coached by Brown's former head coach with the Titans in Mike Vrabel, the right landing spot? It depends on how healthy that relationship is, but considering both were unceremoniously shipped out of Tennessee, well ... they can bond over that, right?
What's not up for debate is that Brown would give the Patriots an instant upgrade for this offense, and if New England opts to keep Diggs around — maybe on a restructured deal, since he has a $26.5 million cap hit in 2026 — then the team would have one of the best receiver duos in the league, allowing Maye to really show what he can do.
WR D.J. Moore, Chicago Bears
Projected starting cost: third-round pick
A cheaper option at wide receiver would be Chicago Bears wide receiver D.J. Moore, who can likely be had for a Day 2 pick if Chicago opts to move him. Considering how many other young, cost-controlled pass-catching options are on that Bears roster, Moore being available would be far from shocking.
Yes, 2025 was a down year for Moore, with his 682 receiving yards being the fewest of his NFL career, but a drop in volume played a big role in that — Chicago simply had so many capable players to catch balls from Caleb Williams this season. A full seven players had at least 48 targets.
Player | Targets |
|---|---|
Rome Odunze | 90 |
D.J. Moore | 85 |
Colston Loveland | 82 |
Olamide Zaccheaus | 65 |
Luther Burden | 60 |
D'Andre Swift | 48 |
Cole Kmet | 48 |
Odunze and Burden are the future of this Bears offense. Moore — who is five years older than Odunze — is a luxury at this point. He's still a talented receiver, but with Burden likely to step up into a larger role next season and tight end Colston Loveland expected to continue seeing 75-plus targets, Moore is also expendable if you can use the pick you get in a deal to upgrade at a different position.
EDGE Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders
Projected starting cost: two first-round picks and a player
Sometimes, the best offense is a good defense. New England already has a pretty good unit on that end, but what if it could land Maxx Crosby? Adding one of the league's premiere pass rushers is one way to improve your Super Bowl odds, right?
The concern here is that you have to be even more sure Crosby is the game-changer you need, because the Raiders reportedly want multiple first-round picks in any deal. You're leveraging your future more in this scenario than you are with any other trade option.
Even then, it's probably worth it. Crosby has four double-digit sack totals in his seven NFL campaigns, and has never recorded fewer than seven in a season. He's led the NFL in tackles for loss twice, and posted a career-high 28 of those in 2025.
There are a number of very good quarterbacks on the Patriots' schedule next season. Depending on health, the team could face Bo Nix, Jordan Love, Caleb Williams, Jared Goff, Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Sam Darnold and Josh Allen twice. Adding an elite pass rusher can be a potential difference-maker in those contests.
WR Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers
Projected starting cost: fourth-round pick
If New England decides those other wide receivers are too costly, but they still want to upgrade through the trade market, Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston would be an intriguing option.
Inconsistency has been a hallmark of Johnston's first three seasons in the NFL. He has 16 touchdown receptions over the last two years, but he also has 10 games over that span with 25 or fewer receiving yards. Big play potential, but also big bust potential.
Those bad games likely lower the Chargers' asking price significantly, because the team that trades for him can't be sure which version of Johnston they're getting. Despite that concern, New England should consider this move: Because in his best moments, Johnston can function as a high-end No. 2 receiver, and this best version of Johnston clears all the non-Diggs receivers on this roster. Yes, it's a riskier move, but the payoff can still be huge.
OT Jawaan Taylor, Kansas City Chiefs
Projected starting cost: sixth-round pick
This is the value path to an offensive line upgrade. Trading for a starting offensive tackle is hard to do in a league that values the position like the NFL does, but with the Chiefs in a cap bind, they essentially have to move right tackle Jawaan Taylor.
Taylor struggles with penalties, but maybe the Patriots are the team that can fix that? Taylor was one of nine NFL offensive linemen to commit double-digit penalties in 2025, just one fewer than the Patriots' starting tackles combined. Is New England a team that can coach the penalties out of Taylor?
Because here's the thing: I remain convinced that of you clean up the penalties, Taylor can be a good right tackle. I know he graded out as one of PFF's worst at the position in 2025, but that was largely the result of his poor run-blocking grade. And even in a down year, he was 49th of 89 tackles, which isn't terrible! He's always been a better pass blocker than a run blocker, and the pass blocking aspect is more important to the Patriots right now.