The New England Patriots are predicted to make a blockbuster trade during the 2026 NFL season.
Seth Walder of ESPN has a bold prediction for the New England Patriots.
He believes the team will "will trade for an edge rusher before the trade deadline."
"The Patriots will trade for an edge rusher before the trade deadline. This is a team with Super Bowl aspirations and what should be an explosive passing offense that will win them games. But Harold Landry and Dre'Mont Jones aren't a good enough pair at this stage of their career. I think at some point New England will bring in reinforcements."
New England has been heavily linked to Kayvon Thibodeaux of the New York Giants.
Thibodeaux played in 10 games for the Giants last season. He had 2.5 sacks, 13 solo tackles, five tackles for loss and nine QB hits.
The Giants selected Thibodeaux with the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Thibodeaux enters this season with 23.5 career sacks, 86 solo tackles, 31 tackles for loss and 55 QB hits.
Thibodeaux had a great start to his NFL career, racking up 15.5 sacks in his first two seasons. For whatever reason, the Oregon product hasn't been dominant the past two seasons.
Maybe a change of scenery could unlock him.
With Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Arvell Reese on the roster, there has been talk for some time that the Giants could trade Thibodeaux.
The Patriots, who acquired A.J. Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles, are in win-now mode after getting to the Super Bowl last season. It will be fascinating to see if New England makes another trade with an NFC East team.
It will be intriguing to see if the Giants trade Thibodeaux before the 2026 season. There were reports during the 2026 draft that the New Orleans Saints were interested in Thibodeaux, but trade talks fell apart when the Giants refused to move the fifth-year veteran for less than a second-round pick.
In Year 2 of the Mike Vrabel era, the Patriots face the Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets, Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos. That's a pretty tough schedule.
New England may need to bolster its defense with a Thibodeaux trade to make the playoffs.
