The New England Patriots are still trying to rekindle some magic from the glory days. Despite the friction between Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick, it’s almost as if every big move the former makes is a tentacle from the latter’s time in Foxborough. His successor was an ex-Pats player in Jerrod Mayo, and his successor is another in Mike Vrabel. Who comes in as a messiah seeking to reinvigorate their defense-centric culture. So now that it seems the Pats will miss out on Travis Hunter in the NFL Draft, it’s only right they draft somebody on that side of the football.

There’s been credible reporting from the likes of Adam Schefter that the Browns are trending toward picking two-way unicorn Travis Hunter with the 2nd overall pick. A contingency plan for the Pats, sitting at #4, is requisite regardless. The ultimate plan B for Mike Vrabel and co. is seemingly LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell, a great prospect in his own right but not quite a blue-chip guy akin to a Hunter. This segues into, according to the analysts’ and evaluators’ minds, the only other blue-chip prospect in this draft class. 

The defensive coach that Vrabel is probably salivating at the prospect of Abdul Carter coming off the EDGE. The Penn State alum and St1x C1ty descendant is arguably the number one player on the board. Naturally, he’s not expected to remain available when the Pats are on the clock. However, there is a palpable scenario in which he is. One, where a second quarterback, apart from Cam Ward, gets drafted to the Browns or the Giants at #3. The latest revelation around Carter and the Patriots has fanned the flames of this hypothetical transpiring into reality.

Adam Schefter reports that Abdul Carter is due to visit the Patriots’ facility today, i.e, April 14th. He also added that this is the player’s last visit before draft night and that no team drafting beyond 4th overall received one. The cutoff being that number makes sense and does give Vrabel and co. a faint bit of hope he slides down to them. While the Giants have added two serviceable vets—Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston— to the QB room, neither is the long-term answer. They have been heavily linked with Shedeur Sanders throughout the process, and he remains a possibility for them. The Browns, meanwhile, are in more dire straits. Deshaun Watson hasn’t reciprocated the value of that infamous contract whatsoever. To avoid slipping into purgatory amid their horrible cap situation, the franchise needs to hit on a rookie-scale quarterback. Which could come via that 2nd pick.

Mike Vrabel and the front office have their fingers crossed that one of these two teams drafts a QB. It’s essentially the only way Abdul Carter, or Travis Hunter, becomes a Patriot. The Titans are, by all accounts, locked into going for Cam Ward first overall. How this trickles down the rest of the board is unclear at this juncture. That said, drafting Carter and Campbell are indeed the two most viable courses of action for this team.

Rebuilding this relatively poor roster inside out makes sense from Vrabel’s POV. Shore up the trenches and target winning the battle at the line of scrimmage. Carter is a game-wrecker, and that position is evolving into being the 2nd most important in the entire sport. His being the priority with how the chips have fallen is unequivocally correct. However, if push comes to shove, don’t sleep on how transformative Will Campbell can be for the organization either.

Making a case for Mike Vrabel’s alternative to Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter

Protecting QB1 Drake Maye takes precedence for Mike Vrabel and the Pats. Heck, it may even be more important than winning right now. That’s the cornerstone of the franchise, who projects as somebody who can bring sustained success. It’s always worth reinforcing how important left tackles are for the entire operation. They cover the blind spot of the quarterback, shielding them against dangers such as Abdul Carter and his kin attacking from outside their peripheral vision. This is why Will Campbell, who excelled as a left tackle at LSU against SEC pass rushes, is an excellent alternative.

There has been discourse around some physical shortcomings pertaining to Campbell. The length of his arms, in particular. Conceded, it’s an important metric, and relatively shorter arms have historically proven to be an issue for offensive tackles. This drawback is why there’s perceived to be a gulf between the Travis Hunters and Abdul Carters of this world and Will Campbell in terms of draft grades and overall stock. Something that’s even led to the suggestion that, in an ideal world, Mike Vrabel’s Patriots look to trade down from the 4th overall pick.

Not to flare PTSD within the fanbase, but imagine how rosy things would be had the Patriots maintained the 1st overall pick they held heading into the last game of the season. Winning that game was a line in the sand for not just this draft cycle. But potentially the Patriots’ trajectory as a franchise. As hyperbolic as that sounds, being able to draft a Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter could’ve altered the direction this team is headed in. It certainly would’ve turbo-boosted the outset of the Vrabel era. Alas, it is what it is now. They’d hope the football gods are favorable and either of the two franchises picking above them pivot to a QB.