On a cloudy afternoon in Foxborough last month, Mike Vrabel stood at the podium, sleeves rolled, voice steady—but his message carried weight. “We’re building around him,” he said, nodding toward second-year QB Drake Maye. The tone wasn’t hopeful; it was expectant. It’s the kind of conviction Patriots fans haven’t heard since the Tom Brady years. The rebuild isn’t just underway—it’s personal. So when rumors swirled out of Colorado’s Pro Day that something unexpected had happened, New England’s draft war room started feeling less like a chessboard and more like a Jenga tower. One surprise move, one unexpected name climbing the board, and the entire plan to protect their future could come crashing down.

The New England Patriots are scheduled to make nine selections out of the draft’s 257 picks. Their first-round draft starts with the No. 4 overall pick. Now, if we put our thinking caps on, we have two guesses for this: Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter. But what if the Pats fail in drafting either of them? After all, the Browns (No. 2 pick) are strongly linked to Carter, and the Giants (No. 3 pick) might just go for Hunter after signing two veteran QBs.

Last month, head coach Mike Vrabel praised Drake Maye’s ability and revealed his plans to help the quarterback. The 49-year-old said, “I see a young, athletic, talented, full-of-potential player. Excited to build this team around (him) and a large part of the reason why I wanted to be here. And just that talent level, to be able to build around him and to be able to grow and help him and lead and run an offense and run a football team is something that I’m excited about.” Thus, the plan is to bring in Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter. But wait, there is a chance that Shedeur Sanders might ruin this plan. At least one draft analyst thinks so.

During the Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams, draft guru Daniel Jeremiah weighed in on this situation. When the host asked, “What should the Patriots do if Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter are gone at 4???” Jeremiah highlighted, “Pick up the phone, call somebody, get the heck out of there. That’s that. Because I think they need offensive lines so bad. And I don’t think you want to do that there. I don’t know that you feel like there’s great value there at that point in time. You’ve got to do something to help Drake Maye.”

As mentioned, the Patriots have the No. 4 pick, and if only one QB is selected before that, other teams might draft the top prospects, Carter and Hunter, leaving the Foxborough team with nothing. Hence, as Jeremiah pointed out, the Patriots are “hoping and praying that Shedeur goes ahead of them. And then we have two quarterbacks gone and they’re guaranteed to get somebody there, you know, and even at that point in time, like, OK, maybe this isn’t an offensive player in Abdul Carter, but he’s such a dynamic player and such a value that you have no problem turning in that card.”

So, “if we only have one quarterback go and if the top two players in the draft for me, which are, Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter are gone, man, the Patriots, they’re going to elicit some moans with whoever they take because somebody is going to have a problem with saying it’s a reach.” I know you are wondering then who the Pats will go with if not Carter or Hunter? Well, in this case, the name of OT Will Campbell is coming up. He can help protect second-year quarterback Drake Maye, as he is a ‘safe and steady player who is still improving,’” as per Jeremiah.

If, by some stroke of luck, the Patriots have both their priority options, they might go with the Colorado star.

The Patriots are hoping to pair Drake Maye with Travis Hunter

Colorado’s Pro Day just flipped the script. Early in the day, word was that Travis Hunter wasn’t doing a thing. Scouts, coaches – everyone started thinking they wouldn’t get a read on him. But then boom – plans changed. The Heisman Trophy winner was running routes, and that decision shook up the Patriots, who want someone who can help Drake Maye out.

We tried to read between the lines – figure out what Mike Vrabel’s cooking. Maybe a plan to keep the Patriots from slipping into that gray zone – mediocre, no clear future. He’s already got young QB Drake Maye. The Pats also threw big money at Stefon Diggs, Harold Landry, and Milton Williams. That $130 million wasn’t for nothing. Now, let’s be honest. Their cornerback room is probably set. But wide receiver? That’s where things get interesting. So, in this case, Hunter, who plays both of those positions, could be a great option for them.

His route running is clean. His IQ is off the charts. Even Patriots WR coach Todd Downing couldn’t hold back, stating that he’s impressed. He thinks Hunter “does a great job of finding a way to get open,” and sees the field like a vet. So yeah, New England is watching Hunter closely, and who knows, the No. 4 pick might just have his name written all over it.