If patriots lose out, Travis Hunter could be theirs

[Grogan14]

You don’t need an All Pro CB at #2 CB. In fact, it is a waste of talent. Do you need a Champ Bailey talent to cover a WR like Bourne or Boutte? Most teams have #2 WRs that do not need elite talent to cover.


If the Pats draft a CB with the third overall pick rather than addressing a real need, the only upside will be the Pats will be drafting in the top 5-10 in 2026 and possibly 2027 to get the OT, W, and pass rusher they need.

If the Pats draft Hunter, they are planning a long rebuild. Maybe like 3-5 years. They are not interested in a quick rebuild. They trying to amass talent and not trying to address needs and build a team. That is the long way to build a contender.

If they draft hunter it will be for him to be #1WR period

 

[Rob0729]

If they draft hunter it will be for him to be #1WR period

Not if he only wants to play CB. That is my point. He seems to want to play CB and not WR.

 

[Grogan14]

Not if he only wants to play CB. That is my point. He seems to want to play CB and not WR.

If that is true, agree would not draft him

 

[Huckleberry1]

L

You don’t need an All Pro CB at #2 CB. In fact, it is a waste of talent. Do you need a Champ Bailey talent to cover a WR like Bourne or Boutte? Most teams have #2 WRs that do not need elite talent to cover.


If the Pats draft a CB with the third overall pick rather than addressing a real need, the only upside will be the Pats will be drafting in the top 5-10 in 2026 and possibly 2027 to get the OT, W, and pass rusher they need.

If the Pats draft Hunter, they are planning a long rebuild. Maybe like 3-5 years. They are not interested in a quick rebuild. They trying to amass talent and not trying to address needs and build a team. That is the long way to build a contender.

Having all pro’s is never a waste. And having the best secondary in football is a massive strength against the best teams. You don’t build a great team in a year, and you don’t build them by always taking need over talent. They can get Hunter and still get a first round tackle, and the difference between Campbell and Banks vs Simmons and Ersery is negligible.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Not if he only wants to play CB. That is my point. He seems to want to play CB and not WR.

He wants to play both, he’s being told he will have to pick one in the pro’s, but nothing says the Patriots can’t use him at CB and on passing downs. They could also do the same with Marcus Jones.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Not if he only wants to play CB. That is my point. He seems to want to play CB and not WR.

Do you have a link, because I have been following Hunter closely and I have never seen anything from him saying he doesn’t want to play WR in the pro’s.

 

[Huckleberry1]

And having a Lamborghini is awesome addition to be your second car. But if you need to a car to get to and from work but also need the car to do grocery shopping and transport large items, you are basically screwed.

And drafting a CB in the top 3 is a luxury pick. Drafting one in the second round isn’t.

Terrible analogy. You don’t need multiple great cars, you do need many great players to create a great team. Taking lesser players just to fill needs creates mediocre teams. If you were talking about Joe Alt or Hunter then you would have a point, but you aren’t, you are talking about the best player in the draft vs a decent tackle prospect.

 

[Rob0729]

L


Having all pro’s is never a waste. And having the best secondary in football is a massive strength against the best teams. You don’t build a great team in a year, and you don’t build them by always taking need over talent. They can get Hunter and still get a first round tackle, and the difference between Campbell and Banks vs Simmons and Ersery is negligible.

Drafting a potential All Pro CB with the third pick in the draft when you already have an emerging All Pro CB and no talent anywhere else other than QB and maybe a few other positions is an absolute waste. Unless your strategy is to be a bottom five team for another 2-3 years and collect the best talent even if it isn’t a position of need.

 

[Rob0729]

Terrible analogy. You don’t need multiple great cars, you do need many great players to create a great team. Taking lesser players just to fill needs creates mediocre teams. If you were talking about Joe Alt or Hunter then you would have a point, but you aren’t, you are talking about the best player in the draft vs a decent tackle prospect.

It is a perfect analogy. You don’t need multiple All Pro CBs to make a great team. The options aren’t draft Hunter or forgo the pick. You still have the potential of drafting one or more great players instead of drafting Hunter with the pick.

Tell me how is getting an All Pro CB to cover the Allan Lazards and #2 WRs of the NFL help this team more than drafting a LT who only a Pro Bowler? I am sorry, but you don’t need an All Pro to cover receivers that can’t even sniff the Pro Bowl. I would rather have a Pro Bowl LT than a second All Pro CB.

 

[Rob0729]

Do you have a link, because I have been following Hunter closely and I have never seen anything from him saying he doesn’t want to play WR in the pro’s.

I posted a Tweet that started this conversation a page back. I said if it is true.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Drafting a potential All Pro CB with the third pick in the draft when you already have an emerging All Pro CB and no talent anywhere else other than QB and maybe a few other positions is an absolute waste. Unless your strategy is to be a bottom five team for another 2-3 years and collect the best talent even if it isn’t a position of need.

Whatever draft pick they have is going to cost the Patriots the same amount, regardless of who they draft with it. If you think the top pick at OT/WR is almost as good as, or better than, the top pick at CB/DT/EDGE, then yeah, it makes sense to go for need. But if there's a big dropoff from the other position to WR/OT, then it doesn't make as much sense to pay $45M for a player who's only worth about $20M.

 

[Rob0729]

Whatever draft pick they have is going to cost the Patriots the same amount, regardless of who they draft with it. If you think that the top OT and WR are almost as good as the top non-QB/OT/WR available at #3, that's one thing. But if you think there's a huge talent difference, that's another.

Fine if you draft Hunter as a CB at 3, you trade Gonzalez. You don’t keep both unless you are willing to wait 3-5 years to be good.

If you don’t think there is any other talent as good, you trade down. There are enough teams in desperate need for a CB that they will trade up.

Again, if they think Hunter is a WR and he wants to play WR, things would be different.

 

[KCSVEN]

Deion just said if you won’t let Hunter play both ways don’t draft him because that’s what he wants.

Deion Sanders issues warning to NFL teams: Why they should give Travis Hunter what he wants

"Don't draft (Travis Hunter) if you're not gonna give him the opportunity to play on both sides of the ball," Deion Sanders said.

www.usatoday.com

 

[BobDigital]

As much as I'd like to gain max value. I say unless we get the first overall pick, we stand Pat and pick Hunter. Most consider him the best player in the draft. Why get fancy?

Also no rule saying he can't play both ways. My thought is this. Hunter as a full time CB and a WR who plays 30 snaps a game wouldn't be bad. Just put him on the field on 3rd down and red zone maybe?

 

[Rob0729]

As much as I'd like to gain max value. I say unless we get the first overall pick, we stand Pat and pick Hunter. Most consider him the best player in the draft. Why get fancy?

Also no rule saying he can't play both ways. My thought is this. Hunter as a full time CB and a WR who plays 30 snaps a game wouldn't be bad. Just put him on the field on 3rd down and red zone maybe?

He isn’t playing 30 snaps on offense as a full time CB. Thirty snaps is almost full time for a WR. You are more looking at 15 snaps a game on offense.

 

[Rob0729]

Deion just said if you won’t let Hunter play both ways don’t draft him because that’s what he wants.

Deion Sanders issues warning to NFL teams: Why they should give Travis Hunter what he wants

"Don't draft (Travis Hunter) if you're not gonna give him the opportunity to play on both sides of the ball," Deion Sanders said.

www.usatoday.com

He doesn’t want to play both ways as full time player. Deion says he wants opportunities on both sides. In other words, full time on one side and snaps on the other.

 

[scott99]

Everything depends on Free Agency. We’ll know by mid March if the Pats have signed OT’s and other Olinemen. Also will know if we’ve signed a free agent WR or 2. So stressing over if it’s smart to pick Hunter or not is moot.

That being said, IF the Pats sign Higgins or some other top FA WR, I would still grab Hunter. This team needs EXPLOSIVE weapons. Been saying that for years. You can get by with a solid OLine, plenty of good OT’s available at the top of round 2.

The Pats won 6 Super Bowls with OLinemen that weren’t drafted high. Not saying they shouldn’t draft OLinemen, just saying the Pats have the WORST weapons in the league, you can’t argue that claim. Hunter gives us an explosive weapon.

 

[KCSVEN]

He doesn’t want to play both ways as full time player. Deion says he wants opportunities on both sides. In other words, full time on one side and snaps on the other.

Yeah, nobody could play full-time both ways in the NFL, but if he plays every third down as a cornerback or every third down as a wide receiver, that’s a big added bonus

 

[mgteich]

Everything depends on Free Agency. We’ll know by mid March if the Pats have signed OT’s and other Olinemen. Also will know if we’ve signed a free agent WR or 2. So stressing over if it’s smart to pick Hunter or not is moot.

That being said, IF the Pats sign Higgins or some other top FA WR, I would still grab Hunter. This team needs EXPLOSIVE weapons. Been saying that for years. You can get by with a solid OLine, plenty of good OT’s available at the top of round 2.

The Pats won 6 Super Bowls with OLinemen that weren’t drafted high. Not saying they shouldn’t draft OLinemen, just saying the Pats have the WORST weapons in the league, you can’t argue that claim. Hunter gives us an explosive weapon.

Many here would want to draft Hunter as an all-pro WR to play opposite Higgins and whoever else we sign in free agency.

Others want him as an all-pro CB to play opposite Gonzo,

Some would draft scenario else or traded down.
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BTW, who does NOT want us to sign a top WR in free agency?

 

[thecore762]

Imma need the first o-line in the first round. Drake needs help up there or he gonna die behind the current o-line. Get 2 pro bowl caliber o-linemen and this team will look much different.
I’m okay not picking up Hunter if we get a solid o-line.

I want the first two rounds to be all about o-line. Maybe even move up a spot and try to get another 1st round pick to add another o-line.