Patriots executives had a rough go of it in their first season after Bill Belichick’s departure, but there were a few bright spots.

The biggest, of course, was the decision to stand pat at No. 3 in the 2024 NFL Draft and select Drake Maye.

The quarterback’s promising rookie season might be the biggest source of optimism about the future in Foxboro, Mass., and Maye’s mere presence at One Patriot Place might make roster building substantially easier.

But after the Maye addition, New England’s next-best move from last offseason might be a trade some forgot about.

A few weeks before the start of the regular season, the Patriots made the bold decision to trade Matthew Judon to the Falcons.

At the time of the swap, many scolded Eliot Wolf and company for removing a high-impact veteran leader from a roster that already was bereft of talent.

After all, Judon only was two seasons removed from a 15.5-sack campaign.

Those critics were forced to eat their words, however, as the deal proved to be one of the better trades in recent Patriots history.

New England acquired a 2025 third-round pick from Atlanta, which finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs.

As a result, that selection is nicely situated at No. 77 overall. The Patriots now have four draft picks inside the top 80, an ideal scenario for a rebuilding team.

As for the Falcons, they watched Judon only collect 5.5 sacks, his lowest mark in a full season since his rookie campaign with the Baltimore Ravens in 2016.

Atlanta clearly traded for Judon since it was all-in on the 2024 season, but it failed to take advantage of a very winnable NFC South and the veteran pass-rusher now is bound for free agency.

To be clear, the Patriots still need to make the most out of the No. 77 pick acquired from the Falcons. But adding a coveted selection to its arsenal of assets was critical for New England as it tries to right the ship.