The Patriots appear to be facing a blessing and a curse with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, despite not needing a quarterback. That was supposed to be the best part of landing in the top 5 for the second year in a row, but with a predominantly unimpressive quarterback class, it's not working in their favor in the weeks leading up to draft night.
They were expected to have their pick of the best players in the class, and while that will still be the case, their choices are not looking as rich as they were shaping up to be. A lot of speculation has suggested that the three quarterback-needy teams ahead of them might pass on taking a signal-caller, stripping the Patriots of their opportunity to take one of the best weapons of the incoming class.
That has become increasingly apparent when it comes to Colorado's CB/WR Travis Hunter, who has long been the favorite to land with New England at No. 4. Fans and analysts have gotten excited about the idea of him working with Drake Maye on offense or teaming up with Christian Gonzalez in the secondary, only for it to look like a lost dream two weeks out.
The prevailing sentiment is that he will be off the board early, with the Browns appearing to be the most likely team to draft him second overall.
It's looking less and less likely that the Patriots will get to draft CB/WR Travis Hunter
The latest reporting on the Browns' interest in Hunter is being backed up by reputable sources, including The Athletic's Jeff Howe.
He detailed Cleveland's tremendous presence at Colorado's Pro Day last week, with 11 staffers in attendance to get a close look at Hunter and quarterback Shadeur Sanders, and it looks like they are currently favoring taking Hunter with the No. 2 pick.
“In fact, there’s a growing belief around the league that Hunter is the favorite to go to the Cleveland Browns with the No. 2 pick, according to high-ranking executives and coaches. The Browns have been high on Hunter throughout the process, according to sources. And as he went through his route tree Friday during warmups, Browns general manager Andrew Berry watched intently from 10 yards away.”
There is an argument to be made that they were entralled with Sanders, too, especially since the first quarterback expected to be taken is Miami's Cam Ward. He has long been connected to the Titans, who hold the first overall pick, so there is a slim chance that the Browns could take Sanders, instead.
That might be a pipe dream at this point, though, as NFL insider Adam Schefter relayed a nearly identical update to Howe regarding Cleveland's interest in Hunter during an appearance on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show" on Monday morning.
Two-plus weeks ahead of the NFL Draft, there are signs that point to the Browns now using the No. 2 overall pick on Colorado standout Travis Hunter.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 7, 2025
With @tyschmit:
🎧 https://t.co/pwhzj4PCTm pic.twitter.com/4nkO8ZFy8E
It's a devastating turn of events for New England, who should have had the best odds of landing the highly touted receiver in this year's class. They acquired their quarterback in Drake Maye last year, which meant they could further boost the offense with a player like Hunter this year.
But now their chances are continuing to dwindle as the draft nears, and it's hard to imagine that changing before Round 1 begins on April 24.
There's a possibility this is all smoke and mirrors, as that is most of what is expected from teams in the weeks leading to the start of the draft. However, it would make sense for the Browns to take their interest in Hunter seriously, especially with the No. 2 pick and the Titans looking to be more intrigued by Ward at No. 1 or EDGE Abdul Carter.
This will inevitably force the Patriots to go with another plan, even more so if Carter is also off the board by the time they're on the clock. That could mean that LSU left tackle Will Campbell will be the pick, or Eliot Wolf and Mike Vrabel decide to roll the dice and trade down.
No matter what they do in this worst-case scenario, they must ensure the pick is the right guy and have an impeccable plan for navigating the rest of the rounds. They cannot afford to have another mediocre draft if they intend to be competitive this fall.
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