Over the last few years, the Patriots have played poorly enough to find themselves in unfamiliar territory by landing in the top-5 picks of the NFL Draft. It has made the event much more exciting for fans, as for most of the past 20 years, the Patriots have picked near the end of the round.
Although playing poorly is never considered a good thing, the Patriots have been fortunate to get their next quarterback of the future with Drake Maye and have the potential to draft another face of the franchise with the No. 4 pick in this month's draft.
Who that might be remains one of the hottest debates, as the three teams ahead of New England could all benefit from selecting their next quarterback. The problem is that only two are widely considered first-round talents, making the options far more limited than a typical draft. That inevitably means the Patriots could be stripped of the opportunity to take the best wide receiver (Travis Hunter) or EDGE rusher (Abdul Carter) because they were already drafted before they're on the clock.
Conflicting reports over the past month have suggested multiple theories regarding how many quarterbacks will go in the top-5 picks, with some believing only one will be taken by the time the Patriots are able to pick.
Fortunately, a new update surrounding the Browns' latest movements might mean the Patriots' chances could heighten in the weeks leading up to the draft, which is exactly what they need this year.
Browns' owner meeting with Shadeur Sanders could mean the quarterback will be the No. 2 pick in this year's draft
Before the 2024 season was even over, it was clear the top quarterback prospect of the 2025 NFL Draft would be Miami's Cam Ward. He is expected to be the first of the class to be taken, with the Titans likely being the ones to draft with first overall.
If they don't, there's a good chance the Browns could be that team with the next pick. Or they could choose to go with Shadeur Sanders from Colorado, whom top brass from Cleveland met with, along with Hunter, for a dinner earlier this week.
The Browns top brass, including owner Jimmy Haslam, spent Thursday night at dinner with Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter and QB Shedeur Sanders. Haslam, GM Andrew Berry and Coach Kevin Stefanski were among many Browns leaders at Thursday’s Pro Day as well.
— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) April 4, 2025
This could be just a formality and the Browns might have their hopes set on Hunter more than Sanders. However, it's a good sign to see they're doing their due diligence and might be warming up to the idea of taking a quarterback with their pick, the best-case scenario for the Patriots at No. 4.
That could be even more of a possibility after Sanders impressed at his Pro Day on Friday, especially for a team as deep in the weeds at quarterback as the Browns.
The hope from Patriots fans is that they will continue to feel they cannot pass on Sanders as their next franchise quarterback and will use their pick on him, allowing Carter or Hunter to fall into the Patriots' laps.
It's hoping for a lot to have both the No. 1 and 2 picks to be quarterbacks, but that would mean only the Giants separate New England from their dream players in Round 1, so it's hard not to have your fingers crossed for quarterbacks to be prioritized this year despite the lack of excitement surrounding the incoming class.