Over the past two weeks, it seems like every day the Patriots were hearing bad news after bad news regarding their chances at drafting their most desirable players with the No. 4 pick, mainly Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter and Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter.
The three teams ahead of them, the Titans, Browns, and Giants, are also intrigued by the pair and are reportedly mostly willing to pass on a quarterback to take one of the playmakers if available. The assumption has been that at least one of those three teams will take the best quarterback of the class; however, as Cam Ward is projected to be the No. 1 quarterback off the board, which could help the Patriots' quest for one of the blue chip players.
But which team might take Ward has been a debate in recent weeks, making it look like New England will not have their chance at Carter or Hunter at No. 4. It brought up plenty of negative feelings about the Week 18 win that had them drop from the first overall pick to the fourth, a grudge that many fans will hold onto forever if the chips fall differently than they hoped.
Fortunately, the latest intel from NFL insider Dianna Russini has rekindled the possibility that the Patriots could have a shot at their top-tier prospects, a dream come true, a little over a week before the draft begins.
The chances of the Patriots getting their dream first-round rookies have increased after new report
The latest buzz regarding the draft was reported by The Athletic's Dianna Russini on Sunday, who revealed that the current plan for the Titans appears to be taking Cam Ward with the No. 1 pick, finally settling their quarterback dilemma for the foreseeable future.
It was the long-time expected move for Tennessee, who missed greatly by taking Will Levis in the second round of the 2023 draft. Now that they have their chance to get a solidified starter, it seems they are unwilling to pass on it.
All signs appear to be pointing to the Titans taking Cam Ward with the No. 1 pick.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) April 13, 2025
The only way Tennessee parts with April's top selection is the trade package is 𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙘.
What I'm hearing on Scoop City: pic.twitter.com/h2sPsl4W6G
This means that Carter and Hunter will be available at No. 2 and No. 3, which could be the worst-case scenario for the Patriots with the next pick. However, there has been plenty of chatter suggesting that the Giants really like Colorado's quarterback, Shadeur Sanders, which would be the dream outcome for New England.
If two quarterbacks go in the top-3 picks, that would mean Carter or Hunter would fall into the Patriots' laps. That's something that felt off the table over the last two weeks, and now that it's back on, it could dramatically change how Mike Vrabel and Co. approach the entire draft.
They would presumably opt to take whoever of the two is still on the board and hold off on taking a left tackle, as LSU's Will Campbell has become the favorite to Foxboro over the past week. While passing on a left tackle might be controversial, the class is said to be deep, so they could still snag a great one late in the first round or the second, which seems far more plausible than willingly passing on talents like Carter or Hunter.