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New ESPN mock draft has Patriots making ‘A+’ move with No. 4 pick
"The Patriots need to stack talent, and Hunter gives them an A+ start in that quest.”
Speaking on FS1 over the weekend, former Jets wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson stressed that the Patriots should put all of their chips on the table to draft Travis Hunter in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
“Let’s say, for instance, at the No. 1 spot the Tennessee Titans elect to move down to No. 4 and the New England Patriots go up to 1,” Johnson said during a recent episode of FS1’s “Speak.” “Perfect landing spot for Travis. You get Drake Maye an offensive weapon. You now have a corner you can play opposite of [Christian] Gonzalez, which is an All-Pro guy. You play him opposite of that and you get a locker room changing culture.”
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Hunter’s unique profile as both a dynamic wide receiver and showdown cornerback would be very appealing for a Patriots roster short of high-end talent.
But according to a new ESPN mock draft, New England may not necessarily have to trade down in order to add the reigning Heisman Trophy winner.
ESPN’s Jordan Reid predicted in his mock that Hunter will fall to the Patriots at No. 4 overall, with a pair of quarterbacks in Miami’s Cam Ward (Giants, via trade with Tennessee) and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders (Browns) going off the board with the first and second picks, respectively.
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Even though New England would miss out on pass-rushing force Abdul Carter at No. 3 overall, landing a blue-chip talent in Hunter would be a welcome sight for Mike Vrabel and Co.
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The Patriots have a lot of needs, with offensive tackle and receiver being the biggest,” Reid wrote. “They can address some of those issues using their $129.6 million in cap space in free agency (the most in the league, per Roster Management System), then drafting the best player on the board. That would be Hunter. His two-way ability would pair well opposite Christian Gonzalez at cornerback and give Drake Maye a talented option out wide.
“Hunter is my top player in this class and a rare prospect, even beyond his two-way ability. His spatial awareness, quickness and ball skills are unique no matter where he plays. I’d put Hunter full time at corner and sprinkle in 20-25 plays a game at receiver. The Patriots need to stack talent, and Hunter gives them an A+ start in that quest.”
If the Patriots are looking to land the best player available at No. 4, Hunter leads the pack over a few other options like defensive lineman Mason Graham or an offensive tackle like Will Campbell or Armand Membou.
Hunter was a force on both sides of the ball this past season with Colorado. He won the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the top collegiate wide receiver after reeling in 96 catches for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also took home the Chuck Bednarik Award as the top defensive player in college football after recording 35 tackles and four interceptions and defending 11 passes with the Buffaloes.
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While it remains to be seen if Hunter can play both corner and wideout at the next level, he could excel in Foxborough as either a starting corner who could log 10-15 snaps at wide receiver — or as a full-time wideout that gives Maye a dynamic pass-catcher for the foreseeable future.
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