The New England Patriots have gotten five fantastic seasons out of Hunter Henry since signing him back in 2021. That won’t last much longer, as the veteran tight end is entering the final year of his contract and is set to turn 32 in December.
So if the Patriots are able to add a tight end in this year’s NFL Draft, it would help their offense. Not just for the 2026 season, but the ones in the future. Sure, they could select Max Klare, Eli Stowers or Oscar Delp on the second day of the draft, but what if they shoot for the moon?
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It may not be plausible, but should the Patriots trade up for Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq, that would sky rocket their offense into another stratosphere.
Sadiq, who just turned 21 in March, put together an outstanding college career with the Ducks. In 2025, he led all FBS tight ends with eight touchdowns, and set the Oregon tight end record for receptions (51). The accolades tell the whole story: Second Team AP All-American. Big Ten Tight End of the Year. First Team All-Big Ten. John Mackey Award (the nation’s top tight end) Finalist. I could keep going.
The problem is the Patriots are in no position to grab Sadiq. Some draft experts think he’ll go in the top ten, with the Kansas City Chiefs as a plausible landing spot. Others think middle of the first is where he’ll hear his name called. Regardless, at 31, New England isn’t sniffing him.
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That’s where a risky, but calculated trade could come into play. The Patriots will need to address the tight end position at some point in this draft, and with 11 picks at their disposal, why not shoot for the moon? Currently, the Patriots’ tight end room consists of Henry, free agent signing Julian Hill, Marshall Lang, CJ Dippre and tight end/fullback Jack Westover. If you take Henry out of that equation, those four players have combined for a whopping zero career touchdowns at the NFL level.
Losing Austin Hooper in free agency to the Atlanta Falcons forced New England’s hand when it came to signing Hill — primarily a blocking tight end — away from the Miami Dolphins. Other than that, no moves have been made to improve the position.
Sadiq could be the home run of home runs.
Nov 22, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18) celebrates scoring a touch down during the first half against the Southern California Trojans at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
“We’re open to anything,” Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf told reporters this week. “Whatever way we can possibly improve the team, we’re open to. We have 11 picks. Most of those are kind of later in the draft, but we do have some flexibility with those 11 picks. I think it’ll depend a little bit on how the board falls. If we view that there’s a player that whether he’s falling or there’s somebody that we think we need to go get, we’ll be open to those opportunities.”
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What Would A Trade Up Look Like?
In ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr’s latest mock draft, he has Sadiq going 15th overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. So let’s use that as a baseline for what the Patriots trading up 16 picks could cost them.
Using the Mike mcCoy draft valuation chart, the Patriots would be acquiring the Buccaneers’ first round pick — which is worth 1,050 points. In return, the Patriots would trade their first round pick (850 points), their third round pick (95th overall, 120 points), and one of their sixth round picks (191st overall, 14.8 points). The Patriots have plenty of day three slots to try and sweeten the deal, and the Buccaneers would be able to add to their stockpile of picks.
It’s unlikely trade to try and swing, and would certainly limit the draft capital the Patriots would be able to use in a post-June 1 AJ Brown trade. But taking risks and moving up the board would help New England’s offense drastically.
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Does It Make Sense?
While yes, the dream is to move assets around to acquire a franchise-changing weapon for young quarterback Drake Maye. But there are other needs that could be addressed this year, including edge rusher and offensive tackle.
It would be a fun trade with Tampa Bay — or anyone else, for that matter — to try and bring in Sadiq. It likely won’t happen, but would be an instant money maker in New England in its quest for back-to-back conference titles.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as One Dream NFL Draft Trade That Could Change the Patriots Overnight.
