Patriots Travis Hunter draft plans just took a hit thanks to the Titans

The New England Patriots are beginning another new era, with former linebacker Mike Vrabel returning to be their next head coach. The move was probably the worst-kept secret in football, especially with their decision to fire Jerod Mayo after one season.

With Vrabel setting up his coaching staff and making changes in the front office, he will mold the Patriots roster into his image. While free agency will be the first real look at how different the Patriots will look in 2025, all eyes will be on the NFL Draft, beginning with the fourth overall pick. With the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, and New York Giants all needing a quarterback, there's a possibility that one of the top players in the draft fall to them at the No. 4 spot.

Or so they thought.

On Tuesday, Mike Borgonzi was introduced as the new general manager for the Tennessee Titans. During his press conference, Titans president of football operations Chad Brinker told reporters that "we won't pass on a generational talent with the first pick in the NFL Draft."

NFL insider says Titans president's NFL Draft comments are bad news for Patriots

During an appearance on WEEI in Boston, ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter was asked about Brinker's comments and which player or players he could be referring to. Schefter said that Brinker is talking about Hunter, Colorado's dual-threat superstar, or Carter, a stud edge rusher from Penn State.

"That quote told me that they are not locked in to take a quarterback at [No. 1]," said Schefter. "That is not what New England wanted to hear today."

Given the Titans had the worst record in the NFL and bounced between Will Levis and Mason Rudolph at starting quarterback, the expectation was that they would use the No. 1 pick on their replacement, whether it be Miami's Cam Ward or Colorado's Shedeur Sanders. That would have been the best possible news for the Patriots, as they'd see a top talent fall into their laps at the No. 4 spot.

Hunter would be just the player the Patriots need to help in their rebuild. Not only does he play great defense as a cornerback, but he can make big plays in the passing offense as a wideout. This season as a wide receiver, Hunter recorded 96 receptions for 1,258 yards, and 15 touchdowns. As a cornerback, Hunter recorded a 36 combined tackles (25 solo, 11 assisted), 11 passes defended, and four interceptions. That was enough for him to win the Heisman Trophy.

Meanwhile, Carter is an explosive and, at points, a downright unblockable pass rusher. Look no further than his performance in the Orange Bowl against Notre Dame. He had a left shoulder injury, but was still getting past the offensive tackle with relative ease. This season, Carter recorded 68 combined tackles (43 solo, 25 assisted), an FBS-best 24 tackles for loss, and 12 sacks.

Let's not forget that draft season is "smokescreen season," meaning that teams will make comments to prevent teams from knowing their plans. But if the Tians are serious about taking the best player available over an obvious positional need, that could spell bad news for Patriots fans who wanted the team to draft Hunter.