NFL rumors: Pick swap trade all but confirms the Patriots control the 2024 NFL Draft's destiny

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero dropped an absolute bombshell on Friday morning, reporting that the Minnesota Vikings traded up into the first round. The Vikings acquired pick No. 23 from the Houston Texans along with a late-round selection in exchange for a pair of second-round picks and an earlier late-round pick than the one they gave Minnesota.

When thinking why Minnesota might pull off a deal like this, the answer is quite clear. They're quarterback hunting. Kirk Cousins signed with the Falcons, and now they don't have a quarterback for the future. They signed Sam Darnold to be a stop-gap, but they know he's not their long-term solution under center.

The Vikings now have a pair of first-round picks, No. 11 and No. 23. They can land a quarterback at No. 11, but it won't be one of the upper-echelon guys in Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or Jayden Daniels. If they were to trade up to, let's say, No. 3 overall, then they'd be guaranteed to land one of those future stars. That third overall pick is what The Athletic's Dane Brugler believes Minnesota will be shooting to acquire.

Latest trade confirms that the Patriots control the 2024 NFL Draft more than we thought

The New England Patriots currently hold the third overall pick in this year's draft and have guaranteed themselves one of Williams, Maye, or Daniels. While they do need a quarterback, the Patriots are a team that needs help all over the field. They went 4-13 last season and they actually looked like a worse team than that record suggested for much of the year.

If the Patriots were to give up that No. 3 pick but receive a haul from the Vikings including both of their first-round picks and another sweetener like Brugler suggests, might they accept? Robert Kraft might not want that initially since his team needs a quarterback of the future, but that's quite the haul.

New England might dig their heels in and say they're not moving out of the top three under any circumstance. They also might be able to drive the price up for other teams knowing that the least they can presumably get is a pair of first-round picks from Minnesota.

The Patriots decide who jumps into the top three. We know the Bears are staying at No. 1. We know that after trading Sam Howell, the Commanders are sticking at No. 2. That No. 3 pick is the most fascinating pick of the draft and can really shake things up if it does get traded.