If patriots lose out, Travis Hunter could be theirs

[Rob0729]

And it would be malpractice to play him at WR over CB. He's legitimately a better CB. Like he could be a very good WR, but he has All Pro potential as a CB.

Any team that gets him is likely using him as a CB because that's where his ceiling is.

If Hunter was a pure WR and didn't play CB at all, he's not getting talked about as a 3rd overall pick. Honestly if he was a pure CB or WR his stock would drop significantly in either situation, but the general consensus is that he will be a CB full time and maybe do a few plays at WR.

This is why I think the Patriots should pass on the guy and trade the spot if they are in position to draft him. Another reason he is likely to be a full time CB is it is easier and more effective for him to be a full time CB and giving him a package of WR each game and give him 10-15 snaps on offense than to make him a full time WR and give him 10-15 snaps on defense.

He would be Marcus Jones on steroids as a CB. I just don't see the benefit of giving him a handful of plays on defense. It doesn't have the impact as it would the other way around. He could be a shut down CB and still have couple big plays or more on offense almost every game. You cannot get the impact of a part time CB as you can get from a part time WR.

To some team looking for an #1 CB they would love the fact that Hunter could be an impact on offense on a limited basis on top of it and might trade up for it and overpay value.

 

[lancerman]

Last years draft is the obvious failure of this thinking. We should have been picking the best talent and not trying to fill holes. If we did that for the last three years, the team would be in a much better position right now. We are not a few spots short from a Super Bowl team, we are a team barren of talent. Trying to fill holes with this weak draft is a recipe for disaster. This is pick the blue chip player and some lottery ticket players draft. Outside the top ten, I'd rather trade the picks for players or future picks right now

The best talent was getting McConkey and not being cute with trade downs

 

[gobesmug]

Hunter is neither the best CB nor best WR. Don’t really get taking him above TET or Will Johnson.

Think of it this way. What level of athleticism, work ethic l, and conditioning did it take to be about the best player at both CB and WR in NCAA?

Now imagine all that hard work and training focused on 1 position only.

That is HOF level athleticism and work ethic combo.

Watching Hunter, you can see on offense that he knows how to read the defense and get open based on coverage, as opposed to other college WRs who use their athleticism to get open against lesser competition.

Hunter, if healthy, has HOF potential. That's the kind of player you take with your first pick

 

[KCSVEN]

This is why I think the Patriots should pass on the guy and trade the spot if they are in position to draft him. Another reason he is likely to be a full time CB is it is easier and more effective for him to be a full time CB and giving him a package of WR each game and give him 10-15 snaps on offense than to make him a full time WR and give him 10-15 snaps on defense.

I just don't see the trade value?
I also disagree with the assumption he's a CB not a WR but even IF he becomes an all-pro CB and part time WR. What do you give up for that?
You won't get a 2026 first, any other round or pick is more likely to bust than work out. Thus, you take a worse player in round 1 with higher bust potential, why?

 

[Grogan14]

I just don't see the trade value?
I also disagree with the assumption he's a CB not a WR but even IF he becomes an all-pro CB and part time WR. What do you give up for that?
You won't get a 2026 first, any other round or pick is more likely to bust than work out. Thus, you take a worse player in round 1 with higher bust potential, why?

Agree 100%. They are not getting a big haul for chance to draft Hunter.
Pats are in desperate need of top tier playmakers. This could be their best chance.

Not sure getting a good but not great IL prospect will move the needle.

With Drake and Travis there is a foundation

Of course if they win one more game, they are mot getting Hunter. Pretty sure Mayo will find a way to f it up

 

[KCSVEN]

Of course if they win one more game, they are mot getting Hunter. Pretty sure Mayo will find a way to f it up

Assuming the Bills need the last game, and 1 Chief loss vs Texans (maybe without Mahomes) or at Steelers and Bills have to play to win last game. Just need Chiefs to lose 1 of next 2.
Colts are not good, Cards are mediocre, and Pats lost.
Hard to believe they beat Chargers or Bills.
Chargers come off a Thursday home game while Pats play away game late on Sunday. Chargers are playing for playoffs.
Ladd McConkey will have 300 yards receiving and then in the 4th Quarter they'll put Gonzalez on him.

 

[Boston Boxer]

We need a generational tackle

at this point i would take a pretty good LT

 

[gobesmug]

at this point i would take a pretty good LT

A pretty good LT won the Pats 6 superbowls.

Generational talent at LT is grossly overrated.

How many superbowls did HOF LT Joe Thomas win?

Heck. He never once played a snap in the playoffs his entire career.

At least HOF Wr Randy Moss led multiple best offenses, went to the NCF championship game and made the game leading TD reception on the nearly perfect season.

Give me a HOF WR over a HOF LT any day

 

[mnpatfan]

If Pats have a top 3 draft pick, I'd trade back to 6 or 7 and take Banks (OT) or Campbell (OT). Then, draft 2 or 3 more OL in rounds 2 and 3. WR in rounds 3 or 4. LBs in rounds 4 or 5. BPA in rounds 6-7.

Nothing good happens next year if the Pats have the likes of Lowe, Robinson, Brown, and Jacobs manning the OL. Hopefully, Wallace shows something in the remaining three games...

 

[Urgent]

I remain fully in the best-available-player approach. Certainly all the amateur draft analysts call Hunter the best player in the draft.
If you are coming off a Super Bowl win and need a guard or safety or tight end, and that's it, target that in the first round.
If you need two WR's, three OT's, a Center, a DT, two DE's, two LB's, one CB, and a S, take the best available player.
You aren't solving three of those needs with one pick.

Then you need to hit on at least two other picks, seriously.

 

[Huckleberry1]

If you have watched the video on Hunter you can see he is excellent at getting separation and is very quick and elusive.
I think his upside is a faster version of antonio brown at his peak.
I suspect he will sometimes command double coverage and open up the field for others

Macmillan is not the separation wizard that Hunter is

Agree with this. Hunter is a much better player than MacMillan is.

 

[Uptown]

 

[Rob0729]

I just don't see the trade value?
I also disagree with the assumption he's a CB not a WR but even IF he becomes an all-pro CB and part time WR. What do you give up for that?
You won't get a 2026 first, any other round or pick is more likely to bust than work out. Thus, you take a worse player in round 1 with higher bust potential, why?

We don't have the luxury to have two All Pro CBs with no legitimate #1 WR, no LT, no run defense, and no pass rush. I absolutely want to give that up for whatever we can get in return. An All Pro caliber #2 CB is a waste even if you don't have as many holes as the Patriots have (which is basically the entire team except for #1 CB and QB). I am sorry, but a stacked team drafts a potential All Pro CB when they already have one in the top 3 of the draft. Not arguably the least talented team in the league.

And I don't know if he is a CB or a WR. Never claimed I did. I am saying if he plays both ways where one way would be part time, the most effective way to get a bang out of doing that is making him CB and a part time WR. A part time WR who has great talent can make a significant difference playing 10-15 snaps a game. A part time CB who has great talent doesn't make nearly as much of a difference playing 10-15 snaps a game. That is my point.

Again, I said if the Pats plan to use Hunter as a fulltime WR and they feel he is worthy of the draft selection in the top three, I said that I am not against it. I said if he is going to be a fulltime CB and part time WR, trade the pick. Someone will trade up for him and give value even if it isn't remotely close to a QB level trade. The Pats do not need to use a top 3 pick on a CB when they need talent at every other key position where you would draft a player in the top 3 other than QB.

You can get an elite #2 quality CB in the second round. The #2 CB doesn't need to be an All Pro or able to shut down all the best WRs in the league like Gonzalez is starting to show he can do.

 

[JohnJH]

This is why I think the Patriots should pass on the guy and trade the spot if they are in position to draft him. Another reason he is likely to be a full time CB is it is easier and more effective for him to be a full time CB and giving him a package of WR each game and give him 10-15 snaps on offense than to make him a full time WR and give him 10-15 snaps on defense.

He would be Marcus Jones on steroids as a CB. I just don't see the benefit of giving him a handful of plays on defense. It doesn't have the impact as it would the other way around. He could be a shut down CB and still have couple big plays or more on offense almost every game. You cannot get the impact of a part time CB as you can get from a part time WR.

To some team looking for an #1 CB they would love the fact that Hunter could be an impact on offense on a limited basis on top of it and might trade up for it and overpay value.

If I could trade back and still wanted to take a CB, I'd take Will Johnson of Michigan. He has Shut-Down CB ability. I just don't want Travis Hunter as even a CB. I think he has huge bust potential (although the same could be said of any high drafted player).

 

[JohnJH]

After yesterday, Hunter is off the board unless the Patriots see him as a fulltime WR and a parttime CB. Otherwise, he is a wasted draft pick. There is no way he can play both ways at the NFL level with a 17 game season (could be 18 in a few years). The one spot the Pats are all set at is #1 CB. They need help everywhere else.

I still think Hunter might get near QB trade interest because of his uniqueness. They could pick up an extra first for trading down.

If I am the Patriots I would sign Tee Higgins and Davante Adams this offseason (Adams is going to be cut because the Jets cannot afford to keep him). Adams' price will be relatively low because of his age and his lack of production prior to yesterday. But yesterday showed that he is still capable of being elite. Use the first round pick to get a tackle and/or a pass rusher.

If it's pass rusher, Abdul Carter would be my choice. He's a bigger and slightly slower Parsons (but he's also about 15 lbs bigger than Parsons). He also played mostly LB before they moved him to Edge. He's listed at 6'3" and 259 lbs. He's expected to run a 4.48 40. Until this season, he played both OLB and ILB until they moved him to EDGE. He's also considered on most Draft Boards to be the 8th highest rated player regardless of position in the entire 2025 Draft Class (although some have him ranked in the Top 5). Just imagine what a bigger, stronger, and only slightly slower Micah Parsons type player could do for our Defense!

 

[JohnJH]

That's a lot of presumptions:
A. That the Patriots can beat the Bills 2nd string.
B. That the Bills won't be playing for best playoff seeding in week 17. They are neck and neck with Steelers for #2 seed right now.

Speaking of Steelers, reminder, their leading receiver, George Pickens could have been ours instead of Thornton whom we have already cut loose. The Patriots WR curse continues.

Christian Watson (who I wanted in the 2nd Round), could have been ours instead of Thornton too!

 

[BUSTAMOVE]

I think that's too simple.
Joe Alt is playing well and was leading the all-pro votes and rating as well or better than MHJ. MHJ can't separate, couldn't separate in college, and separation is what "separates" good receivers from great. IMO Alt will have more pro bowls than MHJ.

I don't believe the first round of the draft is as much of a crap shoot as the NFL scouts have made it.
Drake Maye was an elite QB prospect, Nabers was an elite WR prospect, that they were not considered 1 and 2 as prospects in the draft has me questioning WTH scouts look at as those were so obvious. MHJ over Nabers? Made ZERO sense.

Tackles were, by far, the safest draft pick for years, and then a few years ago it stopped being the case. What changed? Nothing really, just the talent.
There is no "WR is more successful to draft than tackle". It's simply analyzing the prospects properly and determining the percent chance of being good or great.
QB's have a list of qualities that translate to the NFL. Receivers have a list of qualities. Tackles have a list of qualities.

Every year is a different set of prospects and whether the wide receiver or tackle available in the top 5 is the best choice comes down to the individual analysis of those players.

IMO This year you have the following players with a greater than 50% chance of success (1st round picks are 50% success rate)
Hunter #1
Campbell #2
Jeanty #3
Graham #4
Carter #5

I expect those 5 to get second contract with their team and the success chance is in the order listed. I don't know if Campbell can play Tackle in the NFL due to arm length but if he cannot then he will succeed at guard.

IMO Everyone else is in the first round 50% or less chance of getting to the second contract with the team that drafts them. It is an historically weak draft with, at most, 12 first round talents (meaning only 5 or 6 of the 12 would succeed in an average year)

I would take any of them with our pick
The good thing about our team is we have needs every where
Obviously certain needs take preference
I would say
Hunter#1 (only because he is possibly the best player in the draft) my guess at CB
Campbell #2 (if his arms are over 33 inches)
Graham #3
Carter #4
Jeanty #5 (luxury pick)

 

[varjao]

at this point i would take a pretty good LT

Even a just good would do it, people forget the player can always develop and get better, as long as the raw talent and physical attributes are there.

There really no other urgent priority for this team than 2 tackles, that they failed to address for I don't even know how many years, but especially in the last 2 years.

Your best player is Maye, you have to invest around him in order to extract the most value your best player can offer, there's just no other way to look at it.

I agree the market for a trade down doesn't exist and they may "have" to draft Hunter. In this case they should take the best tackles in free agency in the first hour, just like the Broncos did a couple years ago. Now they have a solid line.

 

[mgteich]

After seeing Travis Hunter’s Heisman Trophy acceptance speech, I’m all in on Hunter, what a great kid. Besides being the best offensive AND defensive player in college football, he’s a great kid, and really smart (4.0 GPA). I like what Shedeur said, Hunter can tell how the DBs are gonna cover, so it’s great intel (obviously because of his play at DB).

Man, I drool at the thought of him playing opposite Gonzalez on defense, and then maybe 15-20 plays on offense. Or even visa versa, full time WR, and then come in on key defensive plays. Just a great weapon to have. Speed, ball skills, YAC, and smarts.

Full time opposite Gonzalez and 15-20 plays on Offense for 18 games plus the playoffs. I'm not buying. I'd rather have McMillan and the extra pick or two.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Harrison was supposed to be a generational talent and so far he has been mid. People thought the guy was can't miss. Yet, the guy can't get open even against lesser CBs than Gonzalez.

Gonzalez is not a lesser CB. He looks on pace for pro bowls and maybe an all-pro selection or two n the near future.

Would I give up hope on a rookie WR with upside because the next Revis put him on an island?

Now I don't know how Harrison will turn out but Gonzalez is the real deal and will be a star CB for the foreseeable future.