NFL Scout Links Patriots to College Superstar

Following their 15-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, the New England Patriots currently hold the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. There is plenty of football left to be played, but with the current product on the field, Patriots fans are finding more solace in thinking about the future.

Colorado Buffaloes' two-way star Travis Hunter would certainly generate a substantial amount of hype among Pats Nation. Per NFL Rookie Watch, scouts reportedly believe that New England will "make a push" for Hunter and that a Maye-to-Hunter partnership could "dominate".

One NFC East scout echoed that sentiment and was all-in on the thought of Hunter in New England:

"I love him in New England. Yes, they have issues to address up front for the young quarterback [Drake Maye], but I'm not taking any of these offensive tackles as high as they will be picking."

- An NFC East Scout

There will be continuous debate over whether Hunter will enter the league as a wide receiver or a cornerback, or if he could somehow even feature as a two-way player in the NFL. His conditioning has been remarkable, as he has played an average of 124 snaps per game. In total, Hunter has 300 offensive snaps and 320 defensive snaps for Colorado this season.

The idea of either Hunter pairing up with stud Christian Gonzalez at corner or giving Drake Maye a top-tier weapon is both exciting options. New England is also widely expected to entertain drafting an offensive tackle, with Will Campbell of LSU being a name that frequently comes up.

As a receiver, Hunter currently has 46 catches for 561 yards and six touchdowns. Defensively, he has recorded three passes defended, two interceptions, and a forced fumble in five games.

Hunter currently has the second-best odds on FanDuel Sportsbook to win the Heisman Trophy at +320, behind only Ashton Jeanty of Boise State. Hunter also has the third-best odds of being selected with the first overall pick at +750, behind quarterbacks Carson Beck and Quinn Ewers – who are both at +600.

Hunter was the top overall recruit in the country in 2022 and sent shockwaves when he flipped his commitment to play under Deion Sanders (a two-way player in his own right) at FCS Jackson State. Hunter played a season at Jackson State before following Sanders to Colorado.

In March, Sanders said on the "Million Dollaz Worth of Game" podcast that he would help dictate where Hunter and Shedeur Sanders would end up landing in the draft, saying that "it's going to be an Eli." Eli Manning famously refused to play for the San Diego Chargers – who selected him first overall – and forced a trade to the New York Giants.

"I know where I want them to go. So, it's certain cities that ain't going to happen. It's going to be an Eli."

- Deion Sanders

Right now, it is hard to imagine that the New England Patriots are one of the teams on Sanders' shortlist, so could that ultimately present an obstacle to landing Hunter?

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