As the 2025 NFL Draft approaches, more unfortunate news begins to emerge regarding the Patriots' chances of selecting the most desirable players to add to their roster. Because of their Week 18 win over the Bills, sliding down to the No. 4 overall pick has been problematic, and it continues to be as other teams appear to be on track to draft Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter and Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter.
Both players have been connected to New England over the last few months for different reasons, with Hunter being an ideal weapon to add for Drake Maye to work with and Carter fitting what Vrabel likes in a pass rusher.
For most of the offseason, it appeared that they would be available at pick No. 4, with the three teams ahead of them, the Titans, Browns, and Giants, presumably choosing at least two quarterbacks, allowing at least one player to fall to the Patriots.
Now it looks like that is an increasingly slim chance, the Patriots need to come up with a solid plan b (or maybe even plan c) with how to navigate the worst possible scenario that is both Carter and Hunter are off the board by No. 4. That's why draft expert Daniel Jeremiah says they shouldn't overthink what to do and suggests the best path to success.
Daniel Jeremiah believes the Patriots need to trade down in the first round if the most desirable players are already off the board
Despite the projected lack of interest from teams further down the draft board in moving up for any player, especially a quarterback, the Patriots might be put into a situation where trading down is the only sensible move with the No. 4 pick.
That's especially relevant if Carter and Hunter are off the board, which is why Jeremiah believes the Patriots must trade their pick in that situation and take advantage of the added draft capital they receive in return, and likely use that new pick on LSU left tackle Will Campbell.
If Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter are both off the board by the 4th overall pick…what should the Patriots do? 🤔@heykayadams | @MoveTheSticks pic.twitter.com/t765FqLGXs
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) April 7, 2025
The good thing is that he doesn't think it would necessarily be a horrific idea if they took Campbell at No. 4 either, which Jeremiah believes could become a reality with the increasing doubt that any team would be willing to trade up for any player with the unanimous top two picks already off the board.
If only one quarterback goes, which is expected to be Cam Ward, a quarterback-needy team could be willing to trade up for the next best signal caller in Shadeur Sanders. Otherwise, it's unlikely that players like RB Ashton Jeanty or WR Tetairoa McMillan would be enough for anyone to trade up.
It's not a great situation for the Patriots to be in, and it's something that many fans are still upset with Jerod Mayo about regarding that Week 18 win. Had the Patriots not won, they would be sitting with the first overall pick in this month's draft. They would have the entire incoming class to choose from, with no concern that they might be taken before they're on the clock, which is the dream scenario for any team not needing a quarterback.
Instead, they have to deal with all the speculation in the weeks leading to the draft surrounding who might be available at No. 4, needing to come up with several backup plans to deal with what is inevitably going to happen.