The New England Patriots need wide receiver help like nobody's business. So when news broke that the Seattle Seahawks were trading DK Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Patriots fans had the right to throw a hissy fit.
NFL Insider Tom Pelissero reports the Steelers are sending a second-round pick to the Seahawks in exchange for Metcalf's services. Along with the trade, Pittsburgh and Metcalf have agreed on a five-year, $150 million extension that makes Metcalf a top-five highest-paid receiver in the NFL.
The pick the Steelers are sending the Seahawks is just the 52nd overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. After Seattle originally sought a first- and third-round pick in a Metcalf trade, this looks like a steal.
Metcalf was rumored in connection to New England just before free agency. Now Patriots have the right to wonder why their team didn't make a splash move.
New England Patriots botch opportunity to help Drake Maye with DK Metcalf trade
The New England Patriots are selecting early in the second round of the draft this year, so giving up the 38th overall selection would have seemed a bit rich. But if the Steelers were able to land a two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver in the prime of his NFL career, the Patriots certainly possessed the chips to make it happen.
The Patriots own two selections in the third round—pick 69 and pick 77. This likely would have been enough to get the job done. At the worst, New England could have offered pick 38 and asked for a third-rounder in exchange (the Seahawks have pick 82 and pick 92 in Round 3).
Quite frankly, the draft capital is beside the point.
With the third overall pick in the draft last year, the Patriots selected Drake Maye—the player they believe will be the future of their franchise. Why not do everything in their power to surround him with talent?
During his rookie season, Maye was at the mercy of pedestrian wide receiver performances as Ja'Lynn Polk and Kayshon Boutte disappointed while Javon Baker could barely see the field. Yet when a perennial 1,000-yard wide receiver was up for grabs, the Patriots sat on their hands.
DK Metcalf has his flaws, but the size-speed combination makes him a matchup nightmare down the field. This is exactly what Maye needed for a second-year leap. With a Metcalf trade off the table for New England, it's safe to expect the Patriots to look for wide receiver help either in free agency or the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Patriots should be doing everything in their power to ensure Drake Maye is surrounded with weapons, and they just botched an opportunity to land a blockbuster trade for a top-flight receiver.
