"Patriots are gonna draft Travis Hunter" - Colin Cowherd claims ghosts of Mike Vrabel's Titans past will influence HC's moves

The New England Patriots are the only team with a top 4 pick in the 2025 NFL draft that doesn't need a new quarterback. They have been touted to pick reigning Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter or former Penn State Nittany Lions superstar Abdul Carter.

While the common consensus is that Mike Vrabel and the front office would prefer landing Carter and strengthening their defense, Colin Cowherd believes the Patriots will pick former Colorado Buffaloes star Hunter if he's still on the board. The analyst explained on The Colin Cowherd Podcast:

"So Vrabel knows what cost him his job in Tennessee. He lost A.J. Brown... However you lose your job at a previous employer, that will be your first solve at your next job, and his take is, 'Okay, I can figure out the line play, the culture, the intelligence. I can't have a team that can't throw the ball down the field.'" [from 0:38]

Cowherd believes Vrabel has the coaching chops to build a stellar defense without a blue chip prospect like Carter and will prefer picking an offensive weapon like Hunter to help quarterback Drake Maye and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels:

"They're going to draft Travis Hunter, and they got Stefon Diggs, and then they've got guys that can be the three, four and five. So I think Vrabel looks at it and thinks 'I got Drake Maye. I got a good owner. I got a tough guy roster. I'm not going to end up in Tennessee.'" gFrom 1:07]

---

Patriots executive confirms team's draft plans

Insiders have been hard at work trying to figure out whether the Patriots intend to move up the draft order to get Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter, trade down collect assets and draft lineman Will Campbell, or stay at the #4 spot and let the first three picks dictate who they end up with.

New England is seemingly going with the last option. Last Sunday, executive vice-president of player personnel Eliot Wolf told season ticket holders at the team's annual draft party:

"The best player available is going to be the way it is. Maybe we went for need a little bit too much last year. Obviously that culminated in us drafting Drake Maye, so it wasn’t all bad. ... But, just moving forward, it’s taking the best player, and understanding that we’ve filled a lot of needs already in free agency.”

Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward are expected to be two of the top 3 picks on Day 1 of the draft, while Hunter or Carter are touted as the first non-quarterback to hear their name called.

The Patriots are seemingly content to pick whoever teams pass on, as either player would be a tremendous addition to their roster.