Going into the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, there was a bit of pessimism continuing to follow the Patriots from the end of last season. They held the first overall pick at the start of Week 18, and because they were set to face the Bills, the chances of ending the year with a win seemed unlikely, that is, until Buffalo decided to sit their starters after one play.
That prompted many fans hoping the Patriots would lose to hold onto their prime draft positioning, even if they eventually traded it away for a blockbuster haul.
Instead, Jerod Mayo didn't seem to get the message and had Joe Milton lead the Patriots to a season finale win, which inevitably moved them from the first overall pick to No. 4, stripping them of the chance to walk away with a massive draft haul.
That also meant their chances of selecting pass rusher Abdul Carter or CB/WR Travis Hunter were significantly lowered, and a trade-up would be far more difficult.
In the hours leading to the draft, there were reports that the Browns were listening to calls about trading out of the No. 2 pick, reigniting the Patriots' chance of making the impossible happen. But that was also taken away when the Jaguars gave up a haul to Cleveland to bring Hunter to the AFC South, becoming another reminder of Mayo's Week 18 mistake.
Jerod Mayo's Week 18 win stripped the Patriots of landing Travis Hunter in this year's draft
Although many do not argue that the Patriots' eventual pick of Will Campbell at No. 4 was a bad decision, the fact that the Patriots could have had a more game-altering player like Hunter instead is hard to ignore.
That could have been their fate had they lost their season finale game against the Bills, but Mayo's decision to want to end the year on a high note made sure that didn't happen. Instead, the Jaguars were able to add Hunter to their offense for quarterback Trevor Lawrence to work with, even if it was a massive haul that many Patriots fans would be reluctant to give up.
ESPN Sources:
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 25, 2025
🏈Browns are trading the No. 2 overall pick, a fourth-round pick (No. 104), and a sixth-round pick (No. 200) to the Jaguars.
🏈Jaguars are trading the No. 5 overall pick, a second-round pick (No. 36), a fourth-round pick (No. 126) and their 2026 first-round pick… pic.twitter.com/9J3QPHqhhU
What makes the situation even worse is that Mayo isn't around to deal with the consequences of that Week 18 win. Instead, Mike Vrabel and Co. had to navigate the first round far differently than they would have hoped, resulting in Campbell becoming the next New England Patriot.
He certainly addresses a major hole in the offense that will ultimately benefit Drake Maye's performance in his second season. However, giving the young quarterback a player like Hunter to work with would have been far more exciting and a more desirable pick in the moment.
Hopefully, there won't be other long-lasting effects of the Mayo era in New England beyond having to watch Hunter dominate in Jacksonville for at least the next four years.