With every NFL Draft scenario that is a dream come true, there are always a couple of nightmares.
The Patriots' dream scenario should be that the Titans snatch Cam Ward with the top overall pick, and the quarterback-needy Browns and Giants think of their future by selecting Shedeur Sanders. That would leave either Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter there for the taking at No. 4 for New England.
Both of those players would represent franchise cornerstones for years to come, with Carter being the game-wrecking pass rusher New England hasn't had in quite some time and Hunter the talented Swiss Army knife who would be a ball-hawking playmaker on both offense and defense.
But it remains possible that both of those guys could be gone by the time the Patriots have the fourth pick, and the Giants and Browns are both taking phone calls from teams looking to move up.
No Abdul Carter and no Travis Hunter could equal a New England nightmare
Had the Patriots not won a meaningless Week 18 game against Buffalo's backups to conclude the 2024 season, New England would have the No. 1 pick, and fans could start saving their money for Hunter jerseys.
But we can't change the past, and the Patriots are where they are.
Unless something drastically changes, Ward will be selected with the number one pick by Tennessee. Most mock drafts have the Patriots' ultimate nightmare coming true, with Hunter headed to Cleveland and Carter to the Giants.
What makes no sense is that both of those teams need quarterbacks. The Deshaun Watson experiment in Cleveland has been a disaster since day one, and an aging Russell Wilson and a turnover machine in Jameis Winston aren't long-term solutions in New York, so it's a shock that neither of those teams appears to be ticketed for Sanders.
Sanders and the Giants did hold a private workout in Colorado recently, so there's a chance that the Patriots' ultimate nightmare may not come true. Many experts have them currently taking Will Campbell, and as much as New England needs a left tackle, that's a reach. If Carter and Hunter are gone, the Patriots should find a trade partner, preferably a team that needs a quarterback (Saints, Steelers), and stockpile some picks.
The Patriots need to land an immediate impact player, and they'd better hope that the aforementioned nightmare doesn't occur.