Report: Patriots could trade into top 10 of draft for this star QB

The New England Patriots have done their homework on all of the top quarterbacks in this year’s draft, but they may need to trade up in the first round if they want to select one. According to one report, they have been exploring potential avenues to do just that.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network said Monday that the Patriots have been calling teams in the top 10 to inquire about moving up from No. 15. Those teams believe Bill Belichick is considering moving up to get Justin Fields.

Several teams have been making calls about getting into the top 10 of next week’s NFL Draft — including the #Patriots, who could have their eyes on Ohio State QB Justin Fields if he begins to slide. @gmfb @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/GjJazJXZQp

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 26, 2021

“The Patriots have been calling around in the top 10. Teams that have gotten those calls believe that their target would be Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields,” Pelissero said. “It would cost the Patriots a lot to move from No. 15 up to No. 7 or 8 — probably something in the region of a second-round draft pick. That’s a small price to pay if New England sees an opportunity to land a potential franchise quarterback.”

The Patriots have almost never traded up in the draft since Belichick took over as head coach in 2000. Of course, Tom Brady was his quarterback during the majority of that two-decade span, so there was never any need for New England to get into a draft-day bidding war for a QB.

This is not the first we have heard about the Patriots having interest in Fields. Whether or not they trade up is likely to come down to cost, as it would be a surprise if Belichick traded a future first-round pick just to move up a handful of spots. That said, a quote the coach recently offered about his draft plans does add even more intrigue to the situation.