Travis Hunter is arguably the best prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. He will hear his name getting called up quite early in the draft and could potentially be selected by the New England Patriots.
Heading into Week 18 of the NFL season, the Patriots currently hold the first overall pick. They have many choices regarding what to do with the pick, and Brian Hoyer, who played for the Patriots for eight seasons, recently gave his views on what the franchise should consider doing.
Brian Hoyer Talks About Patriots’ Draft Plans Regarding Travis Hunter
Hoyer spent time with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick during his time in New England. He knows what the franchise is about and could have an inside edge on what they currently need to support Drake Maye.
He initially suggested the Patriots should consider trading away the first overall pick as they can use it to add more quality players to the team: “With as many needs as they have, you have to seriously consider it,” Hoyer said on X (formerly known as Twitter), replying to a fan.
“Depends on how they do in free agency and then the biggest question is who is willing to give up what to get that number 1 pick.”
Hoyer later agreed with a fan who wanted the team to draft Hunter instead. The 15-year NFL veteran talked about the Colorado star turning out to be a player like Jameson Williams and Justin Jefferson, and the opportunity to draft him “would be hard to pass up.”
I’m on the same page as you. Get your left tackle in free agency, draft another. I see flashes of Jameson Williams/justin Jefferson in Hunter. Would be hard to pass up. Let’s see what draft order is after this weekend…
— Brian Hoyer (@bhoyer7) December 31, 2024
Hunter won the Heisman Trophy for his brilliance in college this year and will come into the NFL with the potential of becoming one of the best players in the league. His ability to play great on both sides of the ball is something that is quite rare, and whichever team drafts him will be more than happy with the selection.
In 13 games for Colorado this year, Hunter had 96 receptions for 1,258 yards, and 15 touchdowns, averaging 13.1 yards per reception. He also finished the year with 36 total tackles, four interceptions, and one forced fumble.
Trading Down in the 2025 NFL Draft May Be Ideal for the Patriots
The opportunity to pair Hunter with Maye on offense and Christian Gonzalez at the cornerback position is quite enticing for the Patriots. However, the best option for the team might be not to use the first overall pick.
The AFC East franchise could trade down in the draft with a team that needs a quarterback, who could select Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward. The Patriots should prefer trading with a team like the New York Giants or Cleveland Browns, who could end up out of range of the QB of their choice.
The Patriots could get a good chunk of draft assets by trading down, including potentially another first-round pick. If they are lucky, the respective team could include an impactful player as part of the deal, similar to what the Carolina Panthers did with DJ Moore in the trade with the Chicago Bears.
In an ideal world, Sanders and Ward get selected with the first two picks in the upcoming draft, while Hunter will remain available. If the Patriots trade down and still have a top pick, they’ll improve the overall roster while also getting one of the best players in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, for it to happen, many things have to go in favor of the Patriots.
There is pressure on the HC-GM duo of Jerod Mayo and Eliot Wolf to deliver in the upcoming offseason, and it will be intriguing to see what they will end up doing.