What A.J. Brown trade rumors mean for Patriots' 2026 NFL Draft after making Super Bowl originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New England Patriots surprised the NFL by making the Super Bowl.
That in and of itself would create fascinating plans entering the 2026 NFL Draft. And then you add in the A.J. Brown trade rumors and there's a lot to consider.
Think first about how a Super Bowl appearance impacts a team's timeline.
Drake Maye is only entering his third year as their quarterback. He's still on his rookie contract. That's the stage where you're really hoping to be built up and ready to contend -- but these Pats have already done it.
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Do you now draft more for need rather than best player available? It's certainly a consideration.
For example, some mock drafts have the Patriots picking an offensive tackle, but a win-now team with the Pats' specific depth chart wouldn't do that. They already have Will Campbell and Morgan Moses to play the two tackle spots in 2026.
OK, so then what about a wide receiver for Maye to throw to? Well, if you think Brown is really going to be traded from the Eagles to the Patriots, then that's not a need anymore, either.
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But the Brown situation, with Philly unlikely to trade him until after June 1, is still fluid. New England has to decide on its confidence there. If the Patriots truly think a deal will get done, then they can pretty much ignore wideout in the draft except potentially in the late stages.
If there's real doubt in a Brown trade, though, then the Patriots ought to consider another young target to develop with Maye and last year's third-rounder, Kyle Williams.
Contention windows don't always stay open as long as you'd expect in the NFL, and the Patriots are a bit unexpectedly in one already. It's up to them to keep it open.
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