Since 2000, the Patriots earned a reputation for making impressive trades which got high-level talents for low prices. Let's take a look at the five best Patriots trades since their acquisition of Bill Belichick.
5: Steelers Receive Pick 14, Patriots Receive Picks 17 and 120.
The fifth-best trade of the Belichick era came in the 2023 draft: the Patriots traded down three draft spots and were still able to select Christian Gonzalez, whom they would have targeted with the fourteenth pick anyway. Despite suffering a season-ending injury early in the year, Gonzalez immediately looked like an elite defender in his first season and was on track to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
On the other hand, the trade-down also allowed the Steelers to jump in front of the Jets draft pick, who had pick fifteen. The Steelers selected offensive tackle Broderick Jones, a talented lineman at a position of need for the Jets. Not only did this trade land the Patriots with an elite cornerback, but it also forced the Jets to draft a player at a position of lesser need due to Jones coming off the board.
4: Bengals Receive Pick 56, Patriots Receive Corey Dillon
The Patriots sent off one of their two late second-round picks in 2004 to the Bengals in exchange for Corey Dillon. In New England, Dillon became the Patriots all-time single-season rushing leader, tallying up over 1,600 yards on the ground in his first year with the team.
That season, Dillon also earned a Pro Bowl selection and helped the Patriots win their third Super Bowl in four years. Additionally, Dillon scored at least twelve rushing touchdowns in each of his three seasons in New England. For just the price of a second-round pick, the Patriots received an all-time rusher who helped them win yet another championship.
3: Browns Receive Pick 205, Patriots Receive Jason McCourty and Pick 219.
The Patriots traded down fourteen picks on day-three of the draft to reunite star safety Devin McCourty with his twin brother, Jason. In three seasons with the Patriots, Jason McCourty appeared in forty-four games, starting in thirty-three of them.
Additionally, McCourty played a pivotal role in helping the Patriots win Super Bowl 53 with his famous touchdown-saving pass breakup. While the Browns dealt him to New England for a late-round pick-swap, the Patriots may not have won their sixth Super Bowl if they never traded for McCourty.
Patriots defender Jason McCourty makes an impressive play to break up a pass to receiver Brandin Cooks. Image via Elsa/Getty Images.
2: Dolphins Receive Picks 60 and 238, Patriots Receive Wes Welker.
Sending the Dolphins draft selections in the second-round and seventh, the Patriots were sent Wes Welker. Welker became the pioneer of the slot receiver position and appeared in ninety-three games in six seasons with the Patriots. In those six years, Welker had over 1,150 receiving yards and 110 receptions in all but one season.
Furthermore, during Welker's six seasons with the Patriots, he earned five selections to the Pro Bowl, was elected to be an All-Pro four times (two First-Team, two Second-Team), and finished third in Offensive Player of the Year voting only teammates Tom Brady and Randy Moss.
1: Raiders Receive Pick 110, Patriots Receive Randy Moss
For just a day-three draft selection, the Patriots traded for one of the greatest receivers in NFL history. Moss' first season in New England was record-shattering, catching ninety-eight passes for 1,493 yards and twenty-three touchdowns, helping the Patriots go 16-0 in the regular season.
Moss tallied up over 1,000 receiving yards and ten touchdowns in each of his three full seasons with the Patriots and earned nods as a First-Team All-Pro, Pro Bowler, and second-place finishes as an Offensive Player of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year. Despite Moss already being viewed as an all-time great receiver, the Patriots were able to acquire him for just a late-round draft pick as he continued to build his legacy.
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