Today’s surprising news that the Patriots discussed trading up to the second overall pick to draft Baker Mayfield apparently started with the Patriots wanting to bring Mayfield in for a visit.
According to The Athletic, the Patriots had been trying to get a visit with Mayfield scheduled, but Mayfield repeatedly declined to schedule a meeting because he didn’t think there was any way he would fall to No. 23, which was the Patriots’ first pick. But Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels told a member of Mayfield’s camp that the Patriots were considering a trade way up to No. 2, and that’s why Mayfield agreed to meet with the Patriots.
Does that mean the Patriots weren’t really all that serious about moving up, but they had to show serious interest to get Mayfield to meet with them? Perhaps. It seems awfully unlikely that the Patriots really would have moved all the way up to No. 2, given that it would have required them to give up both of their first-round picks, both of their second-round picks and more.