Travis Hunter Sounds Like He Wants To Play For The New England Patriot

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 18, 2025, 6:41 AM

travis hunter sounds like he wants to play for the new england patriot

While the 2025 NFL Draft is still a long time from now, the New England Patriots are widely expected to end up with a very high pick. Many have suggested that they could target Colorado Buffaloes star wide receiver Travis Hunter if he's available when they're on the clock. Drake Maye is the clear-cut franchise quarterback for the future. However, the Patriots need more help at wide receiver. Hunter could be that help. If New England was able to land Hunter, they would form a lethal quarterback and wide receiver duo for many years to come.

Recently, when making an appearance on a talk show, Hunter spoke out about his jersey number at the next level. He wants to continue wearing No. 12, but when it came to New England he opened up a bit with his thoughts. “If I don’t get No. 12, bro, I’m going No. 48,” Hunter said.

“Bro, what if I go to the Patriots? I’m not gonna wear Tom Brady’s number, bro. That’s too much legacy in that jersey. I respect Tom Brady too much. I respect Tom Brady too much to try to get No. 12.”

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. The NFL Combine provides teams with an up-close and personal look at the incoming class of rookies. They can see them perform drills to evaluate their athleticism in more specific detail and meet with them one-on-one to get a better feel for their personalities. When you're a team in the top-5 picks of the first round, like the Patriots, those meetings are crucial in deciding who the best player would be to select when you're finally on the... For the most part, their choices have consistently revolved around the same few names since before the offseason even began. The most popular player the Patriots have been connected to in recent months has been Colorado's dual-threat Travis Hunter, who played 100% of defensive and offensive snaps during his college career as a cornerback...

He would be an excellent player to add to their roster, as he would immediately address two weaker positions on the team and be available to them at No. 4. Hunter will inevitably be a primary focus on fan's radar over the next week, which is partly why Executive Vice President of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf was explicitly asked about him while meeting with... Unsurprisingly, he had nothing but positive things to say about the Heisman Trophy winner. March 24, 2025 / 1:31 PM EDT / CBS Boston The NFL Draft is one month away, and ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss has one target in mind for the New England Patriots with the fourth overall pick: Travis Hunter.

Hunter was a dynamic two-way star for the Colorado Buffaloes in 2024, making plays as both a wide receiver and a cornerback. In addition to taking home last year's Heisman Trophy, Hunter also earned both the Chuck Bednarik Award (given to the top defensive player in college football) and the Walter Camp Player of the Year... Last year for the Buffaloes, Hunter caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns on offense. He also notched 36 tackles, four interceptions, and 11 passes defended on the defensive side. It's unclear if he'll play both sides of the ball in the NFL, which will likely depend on which team drafts him. The Patriots are also in need of a left tackle, so LSU's Will Campbell Missouri's Armond Membou have been linked to New England in the pre-draft hoopla.

But if Hunter is available when the Patriots are scheduled to make the fourth overall selection, Reiss doesn't want to see any hesitation from the organization. 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. Travis Hunter hasn’t changed his mind.

He wants to play both ways. “I know I can do it because I did it at the college level and we rarely get breaks and there is a lot more breaks in the league,” the blue-chip prospect told reporters... The Heisman Trophy winner, however, will leave the decision up to the organization that drafts him. “I hope they let me go out and learn the other position, but it’s up to them, not me,” Hunter said. “I want to be 100% (on both sides), but it’s up to the organization.” Hunter said his primary position at the next level remains up in the air.

He’s had meetings with teams that view him as a wide receiver and others that view him as a defensive back. That decision will be up to his next team, too. Assuming they don’t trade down, when the New England Patriots take the podium to announce the fourth overall selection of the 2025 NFL Draft, it very well could be Travis Hunter. If two of the top-three selections aren’t quarterbacks, it’s difficult to imagine a Hunter being attainable for New England. However, given the number of teams hungry for a franchise passer, the Patriots could see the Colorado Buffalo fall to No. 4.

Putting aside all of his accolades prior to the end of his final collegiate season, if you aren’t already familiar with Hunter’s talent, the two-way phenom won the Heisman Trophy, the Walter Camp Award,... There are additional awards to rattle off, but you get the point. For Lenny Gregory, he watched it unfold from up close and then from afar. New England Sports Network host Travis Thomas has explained his belief that the New England Patriots must draft Colorado Buffaloes star dual-threat player Travis Hunter if he falls to them in next year’s draft. While discussing the 2025 NFL Draft on the Foxboro Rush show, the possibility of trading down or drafting an offensive lineman was floated around by the other co-hosts. In response, Thomas gave a bold statement on the matter.

The Patriots have shown improvement since rookie quarterback Drake Maye took over the offense. However, the once-dominant franchise still needs drastic development on both sides of the ball. In the previously mentioned video released to X (formerly known as Twitter), Thomas explained how there was no way the Patriots should overlook Hunter should he fall to them in the draft. “If they pick 3rd and Travis Hunter is on the board and they don’t take him, I’m blaming you,” he stated. He also referenced how no other situation, whether that be trading down the order or drafting some other position, would be sufficient if Hunter is on the board and available. Phil Perry says Travis Hunter is one of just two blue chip players in this year’s draft.

Experts expect Hunter to mainly play on the defensive side of the ball, but Perry argues that he could play wide receiver for the Patriots full time while moonlighting at cornerback. 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. Subscribe to NBC Sports Boston's podcast network to hear our Insiders bring you the latest insights on your favorite teams!

Travis Hunter Sounds Like He Wants To Play For The New England Patriot

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