The entire NFL knows that the New England Patriots need help at wide receiver going into the 2025 offseason, with the team’s leading receiver in 2024; tight end, Hunter Henry; managing just 674 receiving yards on the year.

With the Patriots being poised to go the offensive tackle route with the 4th overall pick in April; as many outlets have reported that the team are looking into taking either LSU’s Will Campbell or Missouri’s Armand Membou with the pick; New England may decide to address the receiver position in free agency or via offseason trade.

And it seems to be that the trade route could the 6 x Super Bowl champions’ route of choice as Patriots journalist, Bobby Thompson, reports the team is “aggressive on pursuing” San Francisco 49ers All-Pro wideout, Brandon Aiyuk.

Equally, NFL draft analyst, Todd McShay, recently stated on his podcast, The McShay Show, that he has “heard rumors” about the possibility of the Patriots making a play for the former Arizona State wideout.

Patriots Reportedly Making Big Effort To Trade For Brandon Aiyuk

Normally franchises are not in the business of trading star players away, one year removed from signing them to a 4 year, $120 million mega-contract.

But after a season in which Aiyuk never really got going; managing just 374 yards in 7 games in 2024 before going down with a brutal season-ending ACL and MCL tear in October; the 49ers may well have buyer’s remorse.

Acquiring a player coming off a double knee ligament tear is not always considered the most sensible move, particularly considering the hefty price tag that would come with the former All-Pro.

However, Aiyuk has demonstrated the ability to be one of the better route runners in the league when healthy, and in turning just 27 later this month, he is still in the theoretical prime of his career.

What Would The Trade Compensation For Aiyuk Look Like?

Grant Cohn of Sports Illustrated believes the Patriots could get Aiyuk off the 49ers’ books for as little as a third round pick, but it feels like even with his injury San Francisco could be a bit more aggressive in their compensation demands.

A high third plus fourth round pick in this year’s draft, equivalent to around a mid/late second round pick, feels about right for his services – although the Niners will no doubt try and hold out for something closer to a first rounder.

If the Pats feel like Aiyuk’s recovery is going well, and the injury should not have grave long-term impacts, trading a couple of mid-round picks for a player with All-Pro caliber talent could be good business indeed.

What Other Options Do The Patriots Have?

A likely reason for the rumored fervent pursuit of Aiyuk likely has to do with the dearth of other pass-catching options on the market.

The top receiver in free agency, Tee Higgins, was just franchise tagged by the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday, and the next best option, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ Chris Godwin, is – like Aiyuk – also coming off a torn ACL suffered this past October.

Leaving acquisitions solely to free agency can also have its pitfalls: in order to obtain a player, a franchise needs to be the most attractive proposition for the player, whilst simultaneously making a contract offer well above the going market rate, especially for top-end talents.