The New England Patriots’ brass will want to keep their phones close to them Thursday night during the NFL draft.

The Patriots sit in a favorable position by holding the No. 4 overall pick, and that could draw interest from teams looking to trade up to that spot.

According to The Athletic’s Diana Russini, the Chicago Bears are looking to trade up to draft a player that many prognosticators predict will land in the vicinity of New England’s top-five selection.

“The Bears are among teams making calls in an attempt to trade up, per sources,” Russini wrote on X. “Teams believe Chicago is trying to move up from No. 10 in an effort to land Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty.”

The Bears basically would guarantee themselves Jeanty in a trade with the Patriots. Cam Ward, Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter are expected to be the first three picks of the draft.

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ESPN’s Field Yates and Mel Kiper Jr. had Jeanty going to the Jacksonville Jaguars with the fifth overall pick in their latest mock draft. So, the Bears calling up the Patriots and executing a trade doesn’t seem far-fetched at all.

“I had earmarked the Bears as a team who might be willing to jump up to No. 4,” Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi wrote on X. “They have two 2nd rounders as well. 10 and 41 for 4.”

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The Patriots, who reportedly aren’t interested in trading back, have been heavily linked to LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell with the No. 4 overall pick, but there is a belief by some that New England could try to make a splash by drafting Jeanty, who is a difference-making running back out of Boise State.

But if the Patriots aren’t sold on Campbell and want to obtain more draft capital to rebuild their talent-deficient roster, than pulling the trigger on a deal with the Bears does make sense for them.

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Featured image via Kirby Lee/Imagn Images