Besides the typical pressure that an NFL team deals with during the draft, Mike Vrabel and Co. will be feeling it even more so this year, as the Patriots need to have a stellar class of rookies to put the team back on the right page. Recent drafts have been largely unsuccessful, dating back to years before Tom Brady left the team, so the new regime will need to hit it out of the park later this month.
The expectation is that they will follow a new draft philosophy, which has not been the premise over the last handful of years, with both Eliot Wolf and Vrabel stating that the plan is to select the best player available in each round. What that means entirely is yet or if they will stick with that goal is yet to be seen, but it's why the Patriots remain mostly connected to some of the best offensive players of the incoming class.
The most prominent name continues to be Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter, who New England is the favorite to select with the No. 4 overall pick. He would be a stellar addition to either side of the team, but the most excitement surrounds the idea of him joining Stefon Diggs in the receiving corps, giving Drake Maye another dominant weapon to work with.
However, they're facing increased uncertainty about Hunter's availability as the draft approaches, with the Giants being the latest team to seemingly reveal their intentions a few weeks before Round 1 begins.
The Giants make it abundantly clear that they have their eyes on Colorado's top prospects
With Colorado's Pro Day taking place last week, all 32 teams had at least one personnel member in attendance to watch Hunter and QB Shadeur Sanders perform. The Patriots were reported to have just one scout there, assuming they have already done their due diligence on Hunter beforehand, but the Giants made it evident to everyone that they plan to take one of the two players at No. 3.
Instead of having a typical or even expected amount of staff on hand, the Giants were said to have had 14 members of the team present for the Pro Day, with the Browns right behind them with 11, which all but seals the deal that the Giants might rip Hunter away from the Patriots grasp just one pick ahead of them on draft night.
There 14 members of the Giants’ organization, including HC Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen, in Boulder on Friday to watch QB Shedeur Sanders and WR/CB Travis Hunter at Colorado’s NFL Showcase. There also were at least 11 members of the Browns’ organization, including GM Andrew… https://t.co/PMgnPy4dq6
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 5, 2025
Related: Patriots are not completely ruled out of landing best player of 2025 NFL Draft
This is just the latest example of bad updates for the Patriots' draft hopes, making it seem even more unlikely that Hunter will fall into their laps at No. 4. As the best receiver of the 2025 class, and arguably the best cornerback, too, it's unsurprising that the top three teams would be interested in adding him to their roster.
It's even more likely to happen with an unimpressive quarterback group coming in this year, too, with just two signal callers being considered top-10 picks. It's an unfortunate year for the Patriots to be in a position to select one of the best non-quarterbacks in the class, despite being behind three teams that need one.
If the Browns and Giants are set on taking Hunter, that will require Vrabel to shift gears and look elsewhere, possibly even selecting a left tackle like Will Campbell, something many Patriots fans hope doesn't become a reality.
That might become their best option, especially if the projection that few teams will look to trade up is accurate. It's not the best-case scenario, but it might have to do for now, even more so if Hunter is off the board.