6 Patriots trade targets who would take Drake Maye to the next level

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.

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.

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