Patriots Have A Better Case For Travis Hunter Than Any Other Fansided

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 18, 2025, 6:38 AM

patriots have a better case for travis hunter than any other fansided

It's been six years since New England Patriots won the Super Bowl. Since then, they have fallen on hard times. Tom Brady left the team a year after and signed with Tampa Bay, they parted ways with Bill Belichick in 2022, and fired former player Jerod Mayo in his only season as the head... The Patriots are now handing the keys over to Mike Vrabel. But unlike Mayo, he was a head coach with Tennessee Titans from 2018-23, with a record of 56-48 including postseason. Vrabel himself is eager for redemption after his last two seasons in Tennessee ended with a 13-21 record and was fired though many believe he lost a power struggle with then general manager Ran...

Vrabel's past experience and being a former player with three Super Bowl rings under Belichick should serve him well and buy some time as the Patriots look to rebound. However, Vrabel will find that the current Patriots lack star power on this roster. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez, defensive tackle Christian Barmore, and quarterback Drake Maye are a solid foundation to build on. But they need a lot more talent. The upcoming draft is where the Patriots better hope they have luck on their side. Travis Hunter, a Heisman Trophy winner, would be a perfect addition to a team that is lacking star power.

Hunter played both CB and WR at Colorado under Deion Sanders. And like Sanders, Hunter wants to play both positions in the NFL. The Patriots would be a perfect place for Hunter as he can play both positions and become the NFL version of Shohei Ohtani. He and Gonzalez could become a dangerous CB tandem that would help elevate their defense while Vrabel and his offensive staff can come up with creative ways to get Hunter the ball from Maye. The Case For Travis Hunter: Only debate is if Patriots should trade up originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston Editor’s Note: The New England Patriots have a host of roster needs at critical positions, but which one should they address with the No.

4 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft? As part of his “The Case For” series, Phil Perry will highlight five different draft-day options for the Patriots and explain why each may (or may not) be the best course of action. Today’s scenario involves New England selecting Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter. The case for the Patriots drafting Travis Hunter is a simple one. They are in desperate need of top-end talent, and Hunter is one of two true blue-chippers in this year’s draft class. After landing second-year QB Drake Maye last offseason, the Patriots want to surround Maye with the best possible supporting cast.

To that end, we could debate whether that means building through the trenches or pairing the second-year quarterback with an elite talent at wide receiver. Although the offensive line and pass-catchers are both critical to building a good offense, high-end wide receivers are one of the most sought-after commodities in the NFL behind only quarterbacks. Based on Pro Football Focus's wins above replacement metric, skill positions such as wide receiver and cornerback are considered the most impactful positions in pro football besides quarterback, speaking to the value of impacting... Remarkably, a player in this year's draft can play both receiver and corner at a high level. From this perspective, the dream draft scenario for the Patriots is that reigning Heisman winner Travis Hunter falls in New England's laps at the fourth-overall pick. Hunter teaming up with Maye to form a formidable QB-WR duo would be ideal.

However, as the draft inches closer, it's getting difficult to envision that scenario happening for the Patriots. At the top of the draft, the Titans seem locked into Miami QB Cam Ward with the number one overall pick. But the Patriots would need the next two picks to be Hunter's college quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, and pass-rusher Abdul Carter to land Hunter. Currently, Hunter makes sense for both the Browns and Giants, who have premier pass-rushers under lucrative multi-year contracts. New York, who controls the Patriots fate with the third-overall pick, already paid edge rusher Brian Burns and drafted Kayvon Thibodeaux fifth-overall in 2022. If he doesn't go in the first two picks, the Giants feel like a Hunter team.

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The Eagles sit atop the NFC East and are the reigning Super Bowl champions. None of that matters to AJ Brown, who was mentioned as a popular (albeit farfetched) trade candidate just a few weeks ago. Brown stayed put, but that hasn't stopped him from voicing his displeasure about his role in the Eagles offense. It's mid-November and we still don't really know who the NFL's worst team is, which is largely due to the fact that the NFL has a number of bad teams to choose from this... There are six you could talk yourself into believing will be bad enough down the stretch to land the No. 1 overall pick in next year's NFL Draft.

Are we all just forgetting what Gruden said and, more importantly, his lack of accomplishments with the Raiders? Get ready to meet a young purebred Yorkshire Terrier who is looking for a forever family after being rescued from his neglectful previous home. Great Dog Rescue New England (GDRNE), a dedicated foster-based dog rescue in Massachusetts, would like you to meet Benji. According to the rescue, “Benji was saved as a part of a police operation in Tennessee to shut down a backyard breeder/hoarding situation where he had been used as a male stud dog. Benji is ready to go to his new forever home as soon as possible and is ready to start his next chapter!” The New England Patriots remain in desperate need of talent at the wide receiver position, and they may have a shot to land Travis Hunter in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Many teams project that Hunter will be a full-time defensive back at the professional level, but is that how the Patriots view it? According to Karen Guregian of MassLive.com, the Patriots view Hunter as both the best defensive back and best wide receiver in the draft. That is significant, as New England only has a real need at one of those two positions. Christian Gonzalez is the Patriots’ top cornerback and has been one of the lone bright spots for the team over the past two seasons. The Pats also signed Carlton Davis to a 3-year, $60 million deal this offseason, so they should have one of the best cornerback duos in the NFL next year. Wide receiver is a much, much different story.

The Patriots tried to sign Chris Godwin before he opted to remain with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There have been reports that New England offered Godwin far more money than the veteran took from the Bucs. Tee Higgins was another potential target for the Patriots this offseason, but he signed a long-term deal with the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. The Patriots spent a good chunk of change in free agency to give star cornerback Christian Gonzalez a trusty sidekick. Signing Carlton Davis to a huge deal (3 years, $60 million) and pairing him with Gonzalez, gives Mike Vrabel one of the better cornerback tandems in the league. So what happens if Travis Hunter falls to No.

4, and he’s available when the Patriots are poised to make their opening pick in the draft? Do they pass on the bluechip prospect, who is a dual threat at cornerback and receiver, because their starting corners are set? Do they draft a left tackle, instead, out of desperation, because many pundits believe Hunter should play corner in the NFL? Travis Hunter is the unique NFL Draft prospect that has a chance to play multiple positions at a Pro Bowl level. The former Colorado standout is an intriguing wide receiver prospect but he has a chance to be a generational superstar at cornerback. As such, it's no surprise that Hunter is heading to the NFL Combine to potentially participate in drills with other defensive backs.

The news that he is not currently listed as a wideout prospect will influence some team's opinions of where he should be drafted. The Patriots currently hold the No. 4 overall pick and are likely going to be the team most impacted by Hunter's decision to move forward as a cornerback. New England's top offseason priority is to find a new No. 1 wide receiver capable of making life easy for second-year quarterback Drake Maye. The Patriots hired Mike Vrabel to overhaul the team's culture, but helping his young quarterback succeed is also a big part of his remit.

The No. 4 overall pick represents a golden opportunity for the Patriots to land a young, cost-controlled pass catcher who can grow alongside Maye. A high-ceiling prospect like Tetairola McMillan could really unlock the team's passing game for years to come. Of course, the Patriots might choose to risk trading out of the fourth spot to gain valuable draft capital and still land a talented wide receiver. They could make that sort of deal with a team that is interested in moving up to grab Hunter. He projects to be the sort of difference-maker who can elevate a playoff team to the heights of being a true Super Bowl contender.

To put it simply, the Patriots aren't in the right position to draft a cornerback at No. 4 given the rebuild they are currently involved in.

Patriots Have A Better Case For Travis Hunter Than Any Other Fansided

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