The 2026 NFL Draft is over and done. While we are spending most of our time talking about new players now, this also gives us a chance to look back on former players who were traded away and what the New England Patriots received in return.
We already talked about Keion White, Kyle Dugger and Davon Godchaux. Now, it’s time for another former defender that was moved by the team a while back: edge Joshua Uche, who was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs ahead of the 2024 trade deadline.
The Uche trade feels
like it was forever ago, but the deal actually included a 2026 draft pick.
Original compensation for the Joshua Uche trade from the Patriots
A second-round draft pick by the Patriots in 2020, Uche showed flashes of immense pass rush potential during his first four seasons in the league. After notching 18.5 combined sacks and a pair of forced fumbles while on his rookie contract, he re-signed in New England on a one-year, $3 million free agency deal.
However, just seven months and two more QB takedowns later, he was shipped to Kansas City.
- Chiefs receive: Joshua Uche
- Patriots receive: 2026 sixth-round pick (No. 191)
Uche left New England having appeared in a total of 59 regular season and playoff games. His best statistical season by far during his Patriots tenure was 2022, when he picked up 11.5 sacks as a disruptive pass rush partner to Pro Bowler Matthew Judon.
What did the New England Patriots do with the pick from the Joshua Uche trade?
Due to the Chiefs finishing the 2025 season with a disappointing 6-11 record, the selection the Patriots received in the Uche trade slotted in at No. 191. However, they eventually traded down with the Jacksonville Jaguars to net picks 196 and 245.
The Patriots spent the selections on the following players:
- OT Dametrious Crownover (via Pick No. 196)
- RB Jam Miller (via Pick No. 245)
Crownover and Miller both project as backup options for the Patriots in 2026. The former will compete for the fourth tackle spot behind the top trio of Will Campbell, Morgan Moses and first-round rookie Caleb Lomu, while the latter will fight with Lan Larison, Terrell Jennings and UDFA Myles Montgomery for the right to back up Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson.
How did Joshua Uche play for the Chiefs?
After getting traded from the Patriots to the Chiefs, Uche appeared in six games for his new team in 2024 but registered just 10 tackles without any sacks. He was inactive for all three of Kansas City’s playoff games, including their loss to the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.
Uche left in free agency after the 2024 season, joining those very Eagles on a one-year, $1.92 million deal. He currently plays for the Dolphins.
Who won the Joshua Uche trade between the Patriots and Chiefs?
Even though the compensation was relatively minor, it is still going to be hard for the Chiefs to come out on top here. Uche simply couldn’t generate much of a pass rush in Kansas City, while the only game he played more than 20% of defensive snaps was a 38-0 blowout loss in the 2024 regular season finale with nothing to play for. While the return wasn’t huge either, the Patriots get the edge by turning one player into two.
