New England Patriots logo shown on NFL video board.New England Patriots (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

A former NFL general manager has proposed a giant trade proposal that would see the New England Patriots deal the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to an AFC rival club in desperate need of a quarterback.

Earlier this week, Patriots de facto GM Eliot Wolf stated that New England is “open” to trading the No. 3 pick in next week’s NFL Draft, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

If they trade down, New England will fall out of position to take one of the “big three” QB prospects in USC’s Caleb Williams (a shoo-in to go first overall to the Chicago Bears), North Carolina’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels.

Speaking on The 33rd Team with NFL Network analyst Charles Davis, former Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman proposed a trade in which New England would send the No. 3 pick to the Denver Broncos in exchange for the No. 12 and No. 120 selections, a 2025 first-round pick and either superstar cornerback Patrick Surtain II or a 2025 second-rounder.

The Broncos released starting QB Russell Wilson earlier this offseason, leaving Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci as the only signal-callers remaining on the depth chart.

With the No. 12 selection, the Broncos are out of range to get Maye, Daniels or Michigan’s JJ McCarthy in the NFL Draft. They would certainly have to trade up to get one of those top quarterback prospects, and it would cost a pretty penny to do so.

Expect Multiple Blockbuster Trades At The NFL Draft

The Broncos aren’t the only team that may look to trade up for a quarterback at the 2024 NFL Draft next week. The New York Giants (No. 6), Minnesota Vikings (No. 11) and Las Vegas Raiders (No. 13) may also try and move up for a QB.

Oregon’s Bo Nix and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. are other notable QB prospects who could go in round one. There’s always a possibility that a quarterback-needy team will trade up late in round one to get a second or third-tier QB prospect like Nix or Penix, too.