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Adam Schefter has bad news for Patriots fans about No. 4 pick in 2025 NFL Draft
The Patriots may not be able to draft either Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter when they land on the clock.
If the Patriots are looking to land the sought-after “best player available’ with the No. 4 pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, two of the top talents in this draft class in Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter may not be in the running.
Even if New England’s most pressing need on the roster is the vacancy at left tackle, a premier pass-rushing force like Carter or a game-changing playmaker on both sides of the ball inn Hunter could be too good of a player to pass up if either fall to the Patriots on Thursday night.
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But, such a scenario looks like a long shot for the Patriots.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter dropped an extensive NFL notebook ahead of Thursday’s draft, with the longtime NFL insider mapping out what he believes to be the consensus first three picks in the draft order.
“It’s easy enough to figure out the top picks in this draft,” Schefter wrote. “Miami quarterback Cam Ward is expected to go to Tennessee with the top pick, while standout Travis Hunter and Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter are expected to be gone by New England’s turn at No. 4.”
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That would be an unsurprising result for the Patriots, given all of the recent rumors linking both the Browns and Giants to Hunter and Carter. Still, it stands as a serious setback for Eliot Wolf, Mike Vrabel, and the rest of New England’s top brass, given the lack of another definitive, blue-chip prospect beyond that duo.
While Ward will likely be the first prospect off the board given the Titans’ need for a QB, Schefter acknowledged that this draft class isn’t exactly stacked with can’t-miss prospects — especially past the first two or three selections.
The only scenario where either Hunter or Carter fall to New England would likely involve either the Browns or Giants selecting a quarterback with their first-round selection. By after Ward, there isn’t a signal-caller available that would likely warrant a top-five selection.
“At least one team does not have a first-round grade on any of the quarterbacks in this draft,” Schefter added. “The general manager of another team said there are ‘no surefire quarterback solutions’ and the top-rated passer in this class — Ward — would be the seventh-rated passer in last year’s class.”
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Schefter’s musings fall in line with other reports about which prospects might be available by the time New England lands on the clock at No. 4 overall.
“It’s starting to feel to me like there’s less and less of a likelihood that Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter get to the Patriots,” Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer said last week on NBC Sports Boston’s Arbella Early Edition.
“The Browns and Giants have at least given off some signals over the last week or two that they could get position players — Carter at 2 and Hunter at 3 — and then double back on Day 2 and get quarterbacks.”
If both Hunter and Carter are unavailable at No. 4 overall, the Patriots have no shortage of contingency plans in place, even if each fallback option has its fair share of pros and cons.
LSU left tackle Will Campbell has been a familiar draft target linked to the Patriots over the last few weeks, while other options for New England (even if they might be reaches) including Michigan DT Mason Graham, Georgia LB Jalon Walker, Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty, and Penn State TE Tyler Warren.
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