Patriots Skip WRs, Hinting at A.J. Brown Trade

On April 30, in the 2026 NFL Draft first round, the New England Patriots missed out on a wide receiver they liked.

They traded up from the 31st pick to the 28th to grab offensive lineman Caleb Lomu from Oregon State, but passed on adding any pass.

Catchers.

Earlier this week, reports surface that Texas A&M standout KC Concepts Ione was on their radar.

The Cleveland Browns jumped in at 24th overall and took him first, leaving New England without their target.

Fans and analysts see this as a sign.

The paths feel good about landing Philadelphia Eagle star AJ Brown in a trade.

Skipping receivers entirely hints at some behind-the-scenes confidence in that deal coming through.

Sources close to the team say there's no locked in agreement with Philly yet.

The paths were free to draft a wide out in the first two rounds if they wanted, and rivals even expected them to make a move.

A Brown Swap still makes total sense for New England as they build around their young quarterback, keeping that storyline alive heading into training.

Camp.