NFL Insider Peter King Predicts the Patriots to Make Wild Trade in First-Round to Land QB of the Future
By Jerry Trotta
With the NFL Draft just four days away, you can expect rumors and potential smokescreens to formulate around the clock. And with teams looking to mislead others slated to pick in front of them -- a practice as old as time -- things could get even crazier.
However, the latest buzz is guaranteed to send shockwaves throughout the league. In Peter King's latest weekly Monday column for NBC Sports, he has the New England Patriots trading up to land their quarterback of the future, former Alabama superstar Tua Tagovailoa, at No. 13 overall.
In today’s FMIA column at @NBCSports, you’ll find:
— Peter King (@peter_king) April 20, 2020
• My mock draft. The first. The only. The total guess.
• Team trades up for Herbert. Team trades up for Tua.
• A GM's biggest draft-day challenge: "Dog-barking."
• Undrafted free agent chaoshttps://t.co/Z9nAg5DfzK pic.twitter.com/d8PzCrZzRr
That's right, folks. In his official mock, King not only has Tagovailoa dropping out of the top 10, but he also has the Patriots agreeing to a blockbuster deal with the San Francisco 49ers for the No. 13 overall pick.
That's not as bizarre of a concept as some might think. ESPN insider Adam Schefter reports that the 49ers are fielding offers on both of their first-round picks. New England could look to exploit that and shoot up the draft to select Tua -- it's not out of the question if he falls.
Of course, the Patriots would need to be extremely lucky to see the likes of the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers, two QB-needy teams, pass on the Crimson Tide product at No. 5 and No. 6 overall.
49ers fielding calls on both their first-round picks, No. 13 and No. 31 overall, and are open to dealing either or both picks, per league sources. After 31, 49ers not scheduled to pick again until No. 156 in fifth round. No second-, third- and fourth-round picks. Want more picks.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 20, 2020
Given the number of teams in need of a gunslinger, it's long been presumed that we could see a variety of trades when the draft kicks off on Thursday. With Tom Brady no longer around, the Patriots, for the first time since the early 1990s, fit that description.
We'll know soon enough if Bill Belichick has an earth-shattering ploy up his sleeve.