The New Orleans Saints now have a quarterback crisis with starter Derek Carr.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported last Friday that Carr is dealing with a shoulder injury that "threatens his availability for this season." Rapoport also added that Carr "is weighing options, including the possibility of surgery."
Carr's injury situation has the potential to derail the Saints' 2025 season. And even if Carr was healthy, the 34-year-old probably isn't a long-term solution at quarterback for New Orleans. Given the recent news surrounding Carr, should the Saints -- who own the No. 9 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft -- be more willing to trade up for a QB next week?
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If we assume Miami quarterback Cam Ward is taken No. 1 overall by the Tennessee Titans, that would leave Colorado star Shedeur Sanders as the best QB left on the board.
If Sanders is still available at No. 4 when the Patriots are on the clock, would New Orleans call New England and try to move up? It's an interesting scenario to debate. The Patriots need a left tackle, and it's possible that LSU's Will Campbell or Missouri's Armand Membou would be available at No. 9. Penn State tight end Tyler Warren could still be on the board at that time, too.
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What would the Saints have to give the Patriots, in addition to the No. 9 pick, to jump up five spots to No. 4?
Using Jimmy Johnson's trade value chart (via Drafttek), the Patriots' No. 4 pick is worth 1,800 points, so the Saints would have to give around that much value to make a deal worth New England's time.
Here's one proposal that would make sense using Johnson's chart.
- Patriots receive: No. 9 pick (1,350 points), No. 40 (500 points)
- Saints get: No. 4 pick (1,800 points)
- Total points: Saints 1,800; Patriots 1,850
If the Saints didn't want to give up their second-rounder 2025, they could maybe give up a 2026 second-rounder and perhaps an additional 2026 selection.
Could the Patriots try to get star wide receiver Chris Olave in a potential trade with the Saints? Olave is a legit No. 1 wideout, but he's had four confirmed concussions in his NFL career, including two last season that forced him to miss a bunch of games.
NBC Sports Boston's Patriots insider Phil Perry's latest mock draft analyzed a scenario in which the Patriots take Warren at No. 9 (and acquire No. 40 overall) after trading No. 4 to the Saints.
Maybe the Saints think Sanders will fall further in the top 10. Trading up to No. 6 or No. 7 likely would be less costly than moving up five spots to No. 4.
Maybe they don't even want Sanders. Another option for the Saints if they target a quarterback would be to trade down in the first round and take Jaxson Dart out of Ole Miss.
It's also possible that the Patriots might not want to trade down if Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter or Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter fall to No. 4.
The Patriots have been aggressive in free agency this offseason. Will that mentality translate to the draft and result in a few trades? The first round is just 10 days away.