Heading into the 2024 NFL Draft, most fans expected to see the New England Patriots select a quarterback with their first round pick but there was a small but vocal minority who instead wanted to see the trade down slightly in order to target an elite wide receiver like Marvin Harris Jr. at pick three, or either Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze a little later in the first round.
The theory, as some fans saw it, was that the Patriots' roster was bad, and pursuing a top-tier talent like Harris or Odunze would allow the team to put the foundation in place for their future quarterback, be that someone selected later in the first round like, say Bo Nix, or a top selection in 2025, as the team will probably be picking high again next spring too, especially with a bad QB room in place.
And yet, the Patriots decided to keep to a more traditional path and even paired up pick number three, Drake May, with an intriguing new weapon in Ja'Lynn Polk, the former Washington Huskie who flew up draft boards due to his incredible play.
Could the Pats stick around with Polk as their most promising young pass-catcher, playing alongside Jakobi Meyers and JuJu Smith-Schuster? Sure, but they could also throw a package together, say a second and (almost) any defensive player, and make a deal with the San Francisco 49ers to bring in a 26-year-old number one who could lead the team in receiving yards for years to come in Brandon Aiyuk.
Brandon Aiyuk can guarantee the New England Patriots a WR1 in 2024.
Since being drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 2020, fans have wondered what Aiyuk would look like as a number one option in an offense.
Sure, he's put up great numbers over the past few years, surpassing 1,000 yards in each of the past two seasons, but outside of the occasional game or even month, Aiyuk has never been able to truly step out on his own to prove what kind of player he can be on his own, as there's always been a Deebo Samuel, a George Kittle, and now a Christian McCaffrey to take his spotlight for one reason or another.
If Aiyuk was traded to the Patriots, he wouldn't have that issue, as he would unquestionably be Maye's top target and would get that WR1 treatment as a result.
With a do-it-all game and an athletic profile tailor-made for the modern-day NFL, Aiyuk has the potential to establish himself as a true blue top pass-catching option for any team on the lookout for a new X-factor at the position, as he can play inside or out, on the line or off of it, and fill any role from a speedy deep threat to a high-volume possession specialist.
Should the Patriots be worried about trading future draft capital for a player like Aiyuk? Sure, considering where the team is expected to draft next year, giving up a premium pick that could fall at the top of any round is a scary proposition. But then again, the easiest way to ensure that doesn't happen is to add premier talent that directly impacts the team's draft position.
Putting Aiyuk on the Pats would unquestionably do that while setting things up for Maye to succeed as a rookie and as a result, it needs to be considered by New England's brass.
Brandon Aiyuk has been a hot name in trades after talks post-draft.
Will the Patriots end up acquiring Aiyuk? Only time will tell, but based on Ryan Clark's comments on NFL Live, it sure sounds like the ASU product wouldn't mind playing elsewhere, with the former Patriots safety specifically naming the Washington Commanders as a team that could make a call, considering their new QB's connection to Aiyuk.
“They're actually meeting with the San Francisco 49ers today. He and his representation, Ryan Williams of Athletes First and Brandon Aiyuk, told us that he wanted to set this meeting up himself,” Ryan Clark said via Commander Country.
“And when he was sitting with The Pivot (a podcast hosted in part by Clark), he said that he's taking these negotiations personal, that the way that they have negotiated with him, the way that they have told him why he's worth what he's worth, it has touched him, it has affected him. He says he wants to be in San Francisco first but is comfortable playing elsewhere if that's something that the San Francisco 49ers are willing to do via trade. And I will tell you this, when he sat with us, he did not walk into the room alone. First, it was Brandon Aiyuk. Second, it was (Commanders quarterback) Jayden Daniels. I'm not a tea leaf reader, but the way that that sounds is that Brandon Aiyuk wouldn't mind playing in Washington.”
While it's never great to learn that the Patriots could have competition for Aiyuk should he become available, it is encouraging to learn that even Aiyuk is pushing for an exit, as when there's that kind of smoke, there's usually fire.
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