If patriots lose out, Travis Hunter could be theirs

[Huckleberry1]

I am a huge Hunter guy but I think there is definitely a debate on whether we should trade back and accumulate additional first round picks now. This is why I was rooting for the Jags to beat the Raiders yesterday. Now we are almost forced to trade back. Although I think there is a chance Mayo falls in love with Hunter.

If you are telling me we could get like #8, get two more FRP from a team like the raiders, and then select Jeanty? Im in.

They will only get a 26’ 1st if they remain at #2, if they end up picking after that QB demand will be gone and so will the desire for teams to give a first for their pick.

 

[Huckleberry1]

From the sound of it, Vegas is desperate to get Sanders. They will now have to trade up to get him. Cam Ward is likely to be the Giants' pick. So the Pats could get at least one more first rounder and more to trade down.

By the time the draft rolls around, Ward and Sanders will be considered the universal top two picks. If the Pats end up at #2, they will have already traded down by the time the draft comes along.

If they end up at #2 then their best move is to swap picks with the Raiders, plus their 1st round pick in 26’, and 2nd round pick in this draft. Then Address OT at 6, and trade back into the 1st for Luther Burden WR.

In all likelihood that Raiders pick will once again be a top 10 pick, and if they wanted they could probably trade up with it for the best non QB in the 26’ Draft.

 

[Huckleberry1]

To build a championship team, it is always a combinate of acquiring top talent AND draft for need. An All Pro CB is not a need for this team. A Pro Bowl LT would be a better draft pick than an All Pro CB. You don't need two All Pro CBs in the NFL.

So yes, if you can draft a tackle who can be a to 5-10 LT for the Pats over the next ten years rather and a CB who can be top 5 over the next ten years when you already have a CB who can be top 5 over the next ten years, you draft the tackle. Hopefully you can trade down to do it. Drafting an All Pro CB when you already have one isn't as special as you think.

You act like the draft goes to complete sh*t after Hunter.

And there is no advantage to having the best secondary in the league by adding an All Pro CB with the third pick to be your #2 CB if you sacrifice the pass rush or protecting your franchise QB to do it.

Picking a player who is a bigger need, and can make the Pro Bowl is better than picking an All Pro?

Really?


Mac Jones is a Pro Bowler.

Aaron Donald was an All Pro.

 

[fester]

So, let's sign 2 top OT's in free agency and then draft an OT in the first and second. I'm sure that this strategy makes sense to someone.

This plan presumes the top OTs both want to play in New England. They have agency too and after a certain number another million a year isn't worth much

 

[Rob0729]

Picking a player who is a bigger need, and can make the Pro Bowl is better than picking an All Pro?

Really?


Mac Jones is a Pro Bowler.

Aaron Donald was an All Pro.

I am talking about a true year in and year out Pro Bowler. Not a guy who got in once. I am talking a top 4-7 or 8 player at his position rather than a top 1-3. Matthew Judon is a Pro Bowl DE and not an All Pro. He never made an All Pro list. If the Pats decided to draft Carter at #3 and he turned into a Judon type pass rusher, he would be a home run pick.

Again, you can have only one CB play on an island against other team’s #1 WR at a time. That is the benefit of an All Pro CB. That is why having two is a luxury and not necessary.

 

[gobesmug]

To build a championship team, it is always a combinate of acquiring top talent AND draft for need. An All Pro CB is not a need for this team. A Pro Bowl LT would be a better draft pick than an All Pro CB. You don't need two All Pro CBs in the NFL.

So yes, if you can draft a tackle who can be a to 5-10 LT for the Pats over the next ten years rather and a CB who can be top 5 over the next ten years when you already have a CB who can be top 5 over the next ten years, you draft the tackle. Hopefully you can trade down to do it. Drafting an All Pro CB when you already have one isn't as special as you think.

You act like the draft goes to complete sh*t after Hunter.

And there is no advantage to having the best secondary in the league by adding an All Pro CB with the third pick to be your #2 CB if you sacrifice the pass rush or protecting your franchise QB to do it.

You can address the oline beyond just drafting a LT regardless of talent with the first pick.

How did drafting a WR with the 2nd round pick regardless of talent work out?

This is a draft loaded with quality OT but no one special.

If this draft had Joe Alt in it, then I think just about everyone would be on board for going LT with pick #1.

If the talent difference for an OT at pick 10 and pick 40 is about the same, then why waste the pick when you have a potential All Pro talent on the board?

 

[gobesmug]

I am talking about a true year in and year out Pro Bowler. Not a guy who got in once. I am talking a top 4-7 or 8 player at his position rather than a top 1-3. Matthew Judon is a Pro Bowl DE and not an All Pro. He never made an All Pro list. If the Pats decided to draft Carter at #3 and he turned into a Judon type pass rusher, he would be a home run pick.

Again, you can have only one CB play on an island against other team’s #1 WR at a time. That is the benefit of an All Pro CB. That is why having two is a luxury and not necessary.

And you could get that potential Pro bowl LT with the second pick

 

[Rob0729]

You can address the oline beyond just drafting a LT regardless of talent with the first pick.

How did drafting a WR with the 2nd round pick regardless of talent work out?

This is a draft loaded with quality OT but no one special.

If this draft had Joe Alt in it, then I think just about everyone would be on board for going LT with pick #1.

If the talent difference for an OT at pick 10 and pick 40 is about the same, then why waste the pick when you have a potential All Pro talent on the board?

I used LT as a position of need. Not specifically to draft a tackle with their first pick.

And I have no problem with the Pats taking a WR with the first pick if he has stud potential. But Hunter is intending to play CB full time . I have already said that if they draft Hunter as a WR who can play some CB and they think he is the best WR available I am ok with it.

I have been very specific about Hunter as related to him being a CB who can play WR as limited basis like a much better Marcus Jones.

 

[Rob0729]

And you could get that potential Pro bowl LT with the second pick

And you could get a stud #2 CB with your second pick. I mean a top 3 #2 CB in the league. Your point?

 

[TheRainMaker]

This team just needs to focus on taking the right guy.

 

[Drunken Cicerone]

It’s not an awful position to be in.

Thank mighty god it looks like they hit on their QB last year or we’d just be circling the drain

 

[gobesmug]

And you could get a stud #2 CB with your second pick. I mean a top 3 #2 CB in the league. Your point?

That you don't need to take a LT at #3 to get a good starting a LT.

Drafting a LT that might be good @ 3. Or drafting one at 30-38 that might be good is the same thing.

Drafting a guy at #2 that might be the next best non qb player in the draft vs a potential good LT at #2 is a no brainer.

Now if the Raiders offer a kings random for the #2 then that becomes a different story

 

[mgteich]

lol and whose maye going to throw the ball to? Sodapop Douglas?

It is really a shame that we are barred from signing top free agents at WR.

 

[Headcase]

Hunter saying he wants to play CB fulltime and some WR he becomes a difficult sell for me....No LTs worth the pick, Defense front 7 becomes the best option...Carter or Graham.

 

[mgteich]

That you don't need to take a LT at #3 to get a good starting a LT.

Drafting a LT that might be good @ 3. Or drafting one at 30-38 that might be good is the same thing.

Drafting a guy at #2 that might be the next best non qb player in the draft vs a potential good LT at #2 is a no brainer.

Now if the Raiders offer a kings random for the #2 then that becomes a different story

While I agree that drafting a LT at 3 is a really bad idea, I presume that you simply haven't had time to look at the LT's that will likely be available at 30-38 to say that they are equal to those available in the top half of the round.

 

[Ray Ray 717]

And you could get that potential Pro bowl LT with the second pick

lol oh yeah who? Give me a name. There are none.

 

[VJCPatriot]

How did drafting a WR with the 2nd round pick regardless of talent work out?

The problem was NOT using a 2nd round pick or higher to draft WR, the problem is the Patriots decision-making and scouting sucks at WR.

2019 N'Keal Harry over Deebo Samuels, AJ Brown, DK Metcalf, Terry McLaurin, etc. ALL went later.
2022 Tyquan Thornton whom we released recently over George Pickens, Alec Pierce.
2024 Ja'Lynn Polk over Ladd McConkey.

We can go further back for examples but that's just recent history. WR is a premium position in the NFL now and we are the worst organization in football at drafting them. One hit in 20 years, Julian Edelman, is a history of laughable futility.

 

[gobesmug]

While I agree that drafting a LT at 3 is a really bad idea, I presume that you simply haven't had time to look at the LT's that will likely be available at 30-38 to say that they are equal to those available in the top half of the round.

Sorry, I do not mean equal in terms of current skill, but no one thinks Campbell or Banks has All Pro talent.

Both Campbell and Banks project better as OG than LT. That's not exactly what you want from a top 10 pick.

If a Joe Alt type LT was in this draft, that would be pick hands down

 

[Rob0729]

That you don't need to take a LT at #3 to get a good starting a LT.

Drafting a LT that might be good @ 3. Or drafting one at 30-38 that might be good is the same thing.

Drafting a guy at #2 that might be the next best non qb player in the draft vs a potential good LT at #2 is a no brainer.

Now if the Raiders offer a kings random for the #2 then that becomes a different story

Drafting a guy #2 in the draft so he can blanket cover Allen Lazard while Gonzalez blankets Wilson when the Patriots play the Jets is far from a no brainer. Drafting a #2 CB with the second pick in the draft is the definition of insanity.

So don’t draft a LT. How about Abdul Carter who might become an elite pass rusher in the NFL. That is far more important to this team than having two All Pro CB. If Carter becomes a 15-20 sack a year player (which is definitely possible), he will far more valuable to this team than Hunter assuming Hunter is a full time CB and part time WR and not the other way around.

Stop focusing on particular positions and focus on this team’s needs. There are plenty of players near the top of the draft (especially if they trade down). The Pats have two positions where they are definitely all set - #1 CB and QB. Hunter appears to be a redundancy to one of the two positions the Pats don’t need help.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

If the Patriots have toe # 2 pick they’re going to be offered a kings ransom for a QB hungry team. And you have a handful of them not too far behind you.

If that’s the case you trade #2, you’ll probably come back with another high first but it will take you out of the Hunter discussion, and probably get another #1 and maybe a 3rd or 4th.

A 3rd or 4th in this draft is useless. Trade for 2026 picks, or don't trade at all.