As the draft inexorably draws nearer, speculation, rumors, and mega-mock drafts will abound. It will be a Boston media frenzy since the Patriots have the fourth overall pick in the draft and will have terrific options available to them when new head coach and personnel guy, Mike Vrabel, makes the pick.
If you don't have the first pick overall, you'll be, to some extent, limited in your options by whoever picks above you, absent a costly trade-up. Regardless, the Patriots are assured of landing a top player in the draft at their position, who is also a top need for the team. It's a good place to be.
The top two players in the 2025 draft, wide receiver/cornerback extraordinaire Travis Hunter from Colorado and Penn State edge Abdul Carter, both play at positions of need for New England. If one is available at pick No. 4, the Ptiots should select him.
If both are, they should select the subject of this discussion, Travis Hunter, described as the team's best first-round fit by Rob Rang of foxsports.com.
Travis Hunter hits all the Patriots' requirements
Rang had this to say about the dynamic, two-position star, who can arguably be said to be the best player in the draft at two positions,
"First-round draft position: No. 4
Biggest Need: Wide receiver
Best Fit: Travis Hunter, Colorado: Hunter entered the 2024 season as the top-rated overall prospect on my board and nothing has changed since. I believe he is the unique player who could play both sides in the NFL, as he pairs terrific agility with exceptional instincts and ball skills. With all due respect to recently signed free-agent wideout Stefon Diggs, Hunter is the No. 1 target Drake Maye needs. "
Rang gets this one 100 percent right. The Pats cannot do better than Hunter, period. No player in the draft can bring more to the team in 2025 than Colorado's unique star wide receiver and cornerback. It's a no-brainer if he is available.
Let's explore why Hunter, above all other players who may be available, would be the top choice, even if another like Carter were still on the board. Rang calls it "fit", a good characterization. Here, it will be called selecting the best player available in a top position of need.
Travis Hunter maakes sense for lots of reasons for the Patriots
Every NFL draft has two major principles that any and every team should apply. The first is drafting consensus players at their positions. That means don't take a consensus third-round talent in the first round. Two recent Patriots' draftees are archetypes of what can happen when you do.
The Patriots' top two 2022 draft picks, first-round pick guard Cole Strange and second-round receiver Tyquan Thornton, were both massive reaches, and both flopped. Strange was even the subject of public laughter by the then-champion Rams hierarchy when he was selected that high. Gaffes like that cost jobs.
The second principle is to draft the best player available, but only at positions of need. The old "select the best player available" tenet by itself is a flawed strategy. Stocking up on players at positions that are already well-manned is counterproductive and wasteful of resources if other needs go unmet.
Hunter satisfies both of those criteria for the Patriots. He's not only arguably the best wide receiver in the draft, but Pro Football Focus tabbed him as their best overall player and best cornerback to boot. That takes care of the consensus aspect pretty well.
Then, as far as need is concerned, no position other than left tackle requires more attention, even after signing Stefon Diggs, than wide receiver. The Patriots' only legitimate NFL receivers are slot receiver Pop Douglas and possibly third wideout Kayshon Boutte. The two wideouts drafted in 2024, Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, both flopped. Multiple additions are required in the draft.
Hunter's wide receiver side meets that need perfectly. He has the talent to step in at receiver No. 1 until Diggs is healthy. Then he'll be 1A or 2. As a receiver, Hunter notched 96 catches for 1258 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2024 for the Buffaloes.
There's no better wide receiver in the draft. Add to that his standing as the best cornerback, able to be situationally inserted on defense in nickel and dime situations, and you have a multifaceted player who'll provide dividends on both sides of the ball.
Travis Hunter is the best" fit" for the Patriots, as Rob Rang suggested. Patriot Nation should hope that he'll be available at pick No. 4. If the draft dominoes fall right, they'll have a two-positional star on their hands, and a very exciting one at that.