Over the past couple of days, Colorado Buffaloes dual-threat Travis Hunter has been the talk of the town. Not for good reasons, though. His comments on baseball star Shohei Ohtani landed him in choppy waters. And the timing? Really bad. With the NFL Drafts lurking around the corner, Hunter’s move may have impacted his stocks. However, time is a healer, and now, the Buffs dual-threat is hopeful about his name being called early in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Going by the buzz, the New England Patriots came off as one of Hunter’s hot pursuers among the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns. But looks like dark clouds are again looming large over his NFL future, and that’s because a 323 lbs giant is here to steal the spotlight. Now this comes off as a shock for the ex-Patriots player David Andrews. Have Mike Vrabel and Co. already moved on?
Travis Hunter left in the back seat in the Patriots’ race
Analyst Mel Kiper came up with his latest mock draft on ESPN. While the Buffs QB Shedeur Sanders is projected to be landing with the New York Giants as the No.3 overall pick, what about his Boulder buddy? As per Kiper, Hunter will be falling to the New England Patriots at No.4. For the ones who were still doubtful about the dual-threat’s NFL home, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, too, joins Kiper. As per Jeremiah’s mock draft, Hunter will be slipping to Vrabel’s program at No.4. But here comes the latest intel about Hunter’s NFL fate in Mike Band’s 2025 NFL mock draft.
Going by his recently whipped-up projections, Cam Ward will be the No.1 pick and landing with the Tennessee Titans. The No.2 pick is going to be Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter in the Cleveland Browns followed by Shedeur Sanders as the No.3 pick by the New York Giants. Then comes the Patriots’ turn who might opt for LSU Tigers captain and star bookend Will Campbell. His task is going to be mainly about protecting Drake Maye’s blind side this fall. Now what gives Campbell the edge over Hunter?
To find the answer, we will have to travel back in time to 2023. Back then, Vrabel was the HC of the Tennessee Titans and they drafted Peter Skoronski in the first round. Then came the reason behind Vrabel’s hire, who is under the notion that arm length is less important than toughness and physicality. Turns out, that he finds both qualities more in Campbell as compared to Hunter.
With a prototypical NFL tackle frame, Campbell can absorb power rushes while possessing nimble feet, balance, and body control. In tandem with that coordination and athleticism, the OL proved to have powerful hands as he strikes, clubs and swats pass rushers with great force and precision. If that’s not enough to make you worry about Hunter, wait, there’s more…
Stefon Diggs enters the New England Patriots chat!
It’s not that Hunter only has the Patriots light on him. Tennessee Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi called Hunter “special,” while head coach Brian Callahan said he is “unique.” The Cleveland Browns are also in the race. However, Hunter will have to sacrifice one of his positions. The Browns see him as a receiver. And now that the Patriots too are in a dilemma.
The Patriots did land in hot water. The biggest reason is that they have just one wide receiver signed and a few questionable offensive linemen. The fans are already worried about Maye even though they have upgraded their personnel. Holding the No.4 pick, there lies a 50-50 chance of Hunter taking up the huge role of protecting Maye as the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. However, there must be a doubt lingering in Vrabel’s heart with Hunter. Despite the Patriots’ pressing need for a top-tier wide receiver, many analysts argue that Hunter’s skill set may translate better to cornerback.
In that case, they will not have much to worry about. For instance, if New England turns their back on Hunter, they might go for some short-term contract. In that case, former Bills receiver Stefon Diggs’ name has been doing rounds; even more, now that Vrabel and Co. have hosted Stefon Diggs for a visit. Definitely, the player is not at the top of their priority list. That’s because he’s recovering from a torn ACL suffered last season. Going by the NFL insider Albert Breer’s reports, the receiver had dinner with staffers on Wednesday, March 19.
