The New England Patriots may not be able to land Travis Hunter with the fourth overall pick of the NFL Draft, which would be unfortunate given how badly they need another weapon.
Fortunately, this upcoming class is stacked with talent at the wide receiver position, so the Patriots can easily land a playmaker or two after Day 1.
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. has identified a potentially massive steal for New England in the second round, predicting the Pats to land Missouri Tigers wide out Luther Burden II with the 38th selection.
"After improving the protection in Round 1 with Will Campbell, the Patriots could look for playmakers on Day 2," Kiper wrote. "Burden's stat line wasn't as impressive in 2024 as it was in 2023 — he went from 1,212 yards to 676 — but he's explosive and elusive with the ball in his hands. His skill set would be a good complement to new signee Stefon Diggs."
Burden was viewed as a possible top-10 talent heading into the 2024 college football season, but a disappointing year caused his draft stock to dip rather drastically.
However, was Burden really the problem? Or did Missouri simply have major offensive issues in general — especially at the quarterback position — that caused Burden to slip?
Whatever the case may be, the 21-year-old is two years removed from displaying tremendous big-play ability, so perhaps Drake Maye could help unlock the speedster in 2025.
If Burden is actually available at No. 38 and the Pats didn't land Hunter in Round 1, it would be very difficult for the Patriots to pass on him. He clearly has legitimate NFL talent and could ultimately serve as one of the biggest sleepers in this year's draft.
We'll see if New England is lucky enough for Burden to still be on the board come Day 2.
