The New England Patriots face a quandary on draft day. They hold the No. 4 pick, and one of their primary needs is a wide receiver to make life easier for second-year quarterback Drake Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in 2024. But the only pass-catcher worthy of a pick as high as No. 4 is Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.
Unfortunately for New England, the possibility of Hunter â who is a unique draft prospect, excelling both at wide receiver and cornerback â remaining on the board after the first three picks is becoming more and more remote. ESPN’s top NFL insider Adam Schefter on his Monday podcast that his latest information points to the Cleveland Browns scooping up the 21-year-old Heisman winner with the No. 2 pick.
“I think the Cleveland Browns watched him on Friday at his pro day and they saw somebody that can move like nobody else,” Schefter said on the podcast. “I think that going into that day, they views him as somebody they can play at wide receiver and I think sprinkle in defensive back. So I think he could play two ways for them, but I think they may think of him more as a receiver than a cornerback.”
If Hunter is Off the Board, Patriots May Trade Down
If Hunter is gone by the time the Patriots go on the clock April 24, what do they do? Of course, the Patriots could simply use the pick on another position. Offensive tackle Will Campbell from LSU has long been rumored to be high on the Patriots list of draft preferences.
Or they could trade down, acquiring a wide receiver through that method. On a weekend podcast, Mitch Milani of Bleacher Report suggested a trade that would net the Patriots just such a star wide receiver â but it would depend on the willingness of the New York Jets to make a potentially season-changing deal with their most hated AFC East rival.
Garrett Wilson was the Jets first-round pick in 2022, taken 10th overall. By trading down to acquire him, the Patriots would in effect be promoting him six draft slots. But Wilson’s three-year career so far has merited a promotion. The Ohio State product has caught more than 1,000 yards worth of passes in all three of his NFL seasons, successfully hauling in 59.5 percent of all passes targeting him.
Of 459 passes targeted for him, Wilson has dropped only 19, while averaging 4.1 yards gained after the catch.
Trade Would Drop Patriots Only 3 Slots
In Milani’s trade scenario, the Patriots would send the No. 4 pick to the Jets, along with their third-round pick, which comes in at No. 69. In return, New England gets Wilson and the Jets first-round selection at No. 7 â a pick high enough for the Patriots to fill a need at any number of positions.
But why would the Jets trade Wilson â especially to their longtime divisional rival? The main reason is that Wilson will enter 2025 on an expiring contract that comes with a cap hit of just $6.5 million. After the current season, the 2022 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year will cost a lot more than that.
The sports business site SpoTrac projects that Wilson will receive a three-year contract worth just a shade under $70 million. Would the Jets make this move? The chances seem rather unlikely and in fact, the team has been reported to be looking into signing Wilson to a contract extension.
But if they fail to do so, they risk losing Wilson to free agency in 2026, which gives the Jets an incentive to get a valuable return for the star receiver right away.
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