What Would It Cost Patriots To Trade Up For Travis Hunter

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 18, 2025, 6:39 AM

what would it cost patriots to trade up for travis hunter

Tuesday's report on the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants receiving trade calls for the No. 2 and No. 3 picks on the draft board has some wondering if the New England Patriots would consider a trade-up scenario for a player like Colorado's Travis Hunter. Most have assumed the Patriots would be looking to trade down, accumulate more draft picks and fill the many holes already on their roster. But would they consider getting aggressive by trading up with the Browns to go after a generational talent like Hunter? More importantly, what would it cost them to make that kind of blockbuster move?

I spoke with Browns Wire editor Cory Kinnan to get his thoughts on a hypothetical trade between the Patriots and Browns. He pointed to the 2018 draft trade between the New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts. The Jets traded the No. 6 overall pick, two second-round picks in 2018 and one second-round pick in 2019 to move up to No. 3 on the draft board for quarterback Sam Darnold. "I think it'd probably be something similar [to that trade]," said Kinnan.

The New England Patriots currently hold the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. With that pick, they should be able to find a key impact player. However, losing out on the No. 1 pick by winning the final game of the season was a tough break. Looking ahead to the draft, there is one player that most fans want above any other.

Colorado Buffaloes star and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter is the player that many would like to see join the Patriots. Drake Maye needs a legitimate No. 1 playmaker at wide receiver this offseason. Hunter would be that guy. Unfortunately, there is a good chance that Hunter could end up being drafted before New England is on the clock at No. 4 overall.

With that in mind, Michael DeVito of Musket Fire has suggested that the Patriots could consider trying to trade up from No. 4 in order to land him. 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! The New England Patriots are a team in transition. Everything is in flux, from a new Head Coach and his coaching staff to a new player personnel guy to the necessity for a total roster transformation. Mike Vrabel has to make the 2025 offseason as successful as last year's, which was a total flop (absent Drake Maye).

Good teams are molded in the offseason. As for the Patriots in 2024, an offseason that fails inevitably leads to a similar season. It ain't rocket science. There is no season in the NFL, or any other league for that matter, than the one in front of you. Any other is an illusion. The Patriots have to build for and plan to win now.

Vrabel has to spend well and sign only the best possible free agents at positions of need. In the draft, forget to trade down for "value." Draft a few players who improve your team at key positions and forget anything else. There's one player in the draft who warrants a major investment. It's Colorado's Travis Hunter. If Mike Vrabel isn't convinced that you win with top players and scout and bring in the rest, then this theory can be thrown out the window. The speculation here is that he's very astute and knows you only win with enough top players.

He'll act accordingly. The best player in the draft and college football is Travis Hunter, who excels at not one but two positions: wide receiver, a top Patriots need, and cornerback. A meaningless, foolish win against the Buffalo Bills B-team in January tossed the number one pick out and also may have sealed the fate of then-Head Coach Jerod Mayo. 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. Ever since the New England Patriots won their meaningless Week 18 game, which cost the franchise the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the best-case scenario for the first round has been obvious. The Pats’ dream has been for two quarterbacks to be taken in the first three picks, which would ensure that either Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter falls to them at No. 4.

In this draft class, Hunter and Carter are the clear-cut top prospects, a tier ahead of the rest. If the Pats could land either of them, that would go a long way toward boosting a roster that lacks true difference-makers. Now, with the draft a little more than two weeks away, teams are finalizing their boards and prospect rankings. The top quarterbacks have already completed their pro days and thrown for the interested teams. So let’s check on where things stand with the Patriots’ goal of landing Hunter or Carter with the fourth pick. For the sake of this exercise, we’ll assume the Tennessee Titans pick quarterback Cam Ward at No.

1 — because that seems close to a given, considering the Titans canceled their private workout with Shedeur Sanders, all but ensuring Ward will be the pick. Abdul Carter has all the traits of a dominant edge rusher 😤 @1NCRDB1 @Pennstatefball The New England Patriots will soon march on to the next chapter of their offseason with the 2025 NFL Draft just three weeks away. New England has already been busy dipping into free agency to improve its roster, but with sole possession of the No. 4 overall pick, the tough decisions aren’t done yet. The Patriots made their latest — and arguably most notable splash — in the past few years in signing wideout Stefon Diggs to a three-year, $69 million contract earlier this month.

Moving forward, it’ll now be up to Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf to decide who to pick once they’re on the clock at No. 4. Colorado’s Travis Hunter is among the most intriguing, attention-garnering prospects soon to join the NFL, and Vrabel tackled a critical question regarding the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner: Where would Hunter play if drafted by... “If he were on our football team, and showed great skill at one position, and started to really do well in his conditioning, and it didn’t fall and didn’t drop (off), we would be... “Anything that would help the football team, I would be all in favor of.” Vrabel added: “I think there’s some things he can improve on by probably concentrating on just one position.

But never going to put any restrictions on Travis or any player. We try as much as they can handle.” 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. Not much good comes out of back-to-back 4-13 seasons in the NFL, but there is a least one good thing: back-to-back high draft picks. For the New England Patriots, that meant the No.

What Would It Cost Patriots To Trade Up For Travis Hunter

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