Patriots could swap Abdul Carter for AJ Brown in blockbuster trade if Penn State star falls at No. 4 in draft: Report
Boston media company 'Savage Sports' took to X on Friday to reveal a report that had been circulating in recent days.
According to the report, there is a chance that the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles would call the New England Patriots to inquire about acquiring Penn State Nittany Lions EDGE Abdul Carter if he drops to the No. 4 overall spot in the 2025 NFL Draft.
However, the report also noted that the asking price from the Patriots for Carter or the No. 4 overall selection may be star wide receiver AJ Brown.
"REPORT Per: @FitzyGFY If Abdul Carter falls to 4 overall, expect the Eagles to call the Patriots to try to exchange AJ Brown for Abdul Carter. 👀🔥."
The move would be a major, blockbuster trade and could change the outlook on both the Patriots and the Eagles moving forward.
For the Patriots, QB Drake Maye would finally get an elite No. 1 wide receiver. Meanwhile, the Eagles would still have a prominent offense that still features Saquon Barkley, Jalen Hurts, and Devonta Smith. However, the team would also be adding a talented player to a unit that already has Jalen Carter amongst other elite players.
In 2024 for the Eagles, Brown had 67 receptions for 1,079 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns. Meanwhile, Carter had 68 total tackles, 43 solo tackles, 12 sacks, and two forced fumbles for the Nittany Lions.
Abdul Carter 2025 NFL Draft projection
Carter projects to be one of the first players taken in the 2025 NFL Draft later this April. He appears to be somewhere in the No. 1 to No. 4 overall range, with some mock drafts including Carter as the top player available this year.
In NFL Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah's recent 2025 NFL Mock Draft 3.0, Carter was selected before when the Patriots were picking. He was taken by the Cleveland Browns with the No. 2 overall pick.
As Jeremiah noted:
"The Browns could be weighing taking Carter second and a quarterback in Round 2 versus picking Shedeur Sanders at No. 2 and waiting on an edge rusher until the second round. I think you can make a strong argument that taking Carter and waiting for a second-tier QB in Round 2 is the better option."