New England Patriots - NESN.com
One of the top NFL draft evaluators believes Travis Hunter should prioritize offense, advice the Patriots might appreciate.
NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah, who ranked Hunter as his No. 2 prospect behind only Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, raved about the two-way Heisman Trophy winner. Jeremiah obviously isn’t oblivious to Hunter’s prowess in the defensive backfield, but questions how Hunter might hold up if he were to play both sides of the ball.
Offense should be “prioritized” with the opportunity to “moonlight” on defense, Jeremiah wrote.
Jeremiah’s beliefs don’t end the popular debate, of course. It’s sure to continue throughout the pre-draft process and likely even longer. But if Hunter takes Jeremiah’s advice the Patriots might be more likely to select him fourth overall.
It has to do with New England’s needs more than Hunter’s ceiling being higher at receiver than cornerback, or vice versa.
The Patriots need to add talent to Drake Maye’s offense. Hunter is the most talented and explosive player with the ball in his hands. He makes acrobatic catches look pedestrian. He can, as the old cliche goes, score from anywhere on the field.
“On offense, he is creative in his release to escape press as a receiver,” Jeremiah wrote. “He is constantly changing gears to keep cornerbacks off balance and he never wastes steps at the top of his route. He drops his weight and explodes out of the break. He has elite body control and hands. He can pluck balls well outside his frame with grace and ease. After the catch, he is silky smooth and elusive. He doesn’t have elite top speed, but he’s fast enough to not get caught.”
Hunter, who won the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the most outstanding wide receiver in college football, finished with 96 catches for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns in 13 games. His improvements at Colorado were obvious, but there’s still plenty of room to grow.
Hunter just so happened to also claim the Chuck Bednarik Award, which is given to the college football’s best defensive player. His body control and athleticism led him to seven interceptions in two seasons.
But we’re talking about the Patriots.
New England doesn’t need first-round help in the cornerback room with Christian Gonzalez locking down top wideouts. A Second Team All-Pro in 2024, Gonzalez has another two years on his rookie contract and a fifth-year option in 2027. The Patriots solidified answers at two premium positions with Maye and Gonzalez, and would be wise to address another with the premier pick.
The best-player-available argument is understandable given the lack of talent on the roster. But there’s no debating the Patriots would be better off adding talent at wide receiver than cornerback.
