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Travis Hunter is widely considered to be among the top prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner is seemingly one of the only consensus top-five picks in this year's draft class.
While many believe he could be the first non-quarterback off the board, the latest mock draft from the Associated Press has the New England Patriots selecting the two-way star fourth overall. NFL senior writer Rob Maaddi discussed the fit between the two sides, writing:
The Heisman Trophy winner wants to be a two-way player in the NFL. The Patriots need plenty of help at several positions so he’d be a perfect fit.
Maaddi had the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders trading into the top spots in the draft, landing quarterbacks Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, respectively. He projected that the Tennessee Titans would select Abdul Carter after trading out of the top spot.
Hunter had a standout season in 2024, finishing with 96 receptions for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns while adding five rushing yards and one touchdown on two carries. On the defensive side of the ball, he recorded 36 total tackles, 25 solo tackles, one tackle for loss, four interceptions, one forced fumble, and 11 passes defended.
He became just the second defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy. All in all, he took home seven major awards, the most of any player in a single season in college football history.
More must-reads:
- Tyrann Mathieu retirement highlights compelling Hall of Fame case
- Colts GM addresses if Anthony Richardson is entering make-or-break season
- The 'Single-season sack leaders by NFL team' quiz
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Matthew Stafford news highlights potential need for Rams
Matthew Stafford's latest injury raises concerns about the depth of the Los Angeles Rams' quarterback room. Stafford suffered a back injury last season, and it's bothering him again at training camp. Rams head coach Sean McVay said the medical concern will force the QB to miss five practices, but it's not season-ending. "He's been throwing, feeling good. It's not necessarily anything that's new. Something that he's dealt with before," the coach told the media. "Going into year 17, we were going to take a modified approach with him, kind of similar to what we did in the offseason program. And so we'll allow him to kind of just work off to the side, on his own, getting himself feeling as good as possible." Stafford's durability has already been waning. The 37-year-old QB missed eight games because of a spine injury and concussion during the 2022 season. The following season, he missed one game because of a right thumb injury. The Rams have a capable backup QB, Jimmy Garoppolo. He has a 43-21 starting record in the regular season in 11 years with the San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots and Rams. Garoppolo, however, is injury-prone. He has battled foot, ankle, knee and shoulder issues over the course of his career. Rams QB Stetson Bennett — a fourth-rounder in the 2023 NFL Draft — has yet to throw a pass in a regular-season game. Plenty of solid free-agent QBs are still available, including one-time Pro Bowler Carson Wentz. He would be a more trustworthy option than Bennett and already knows the Rams' system. The 2016 first-rounder played for the team during the 2023 season. The Rams hope to win their third Super Bowl after consecutive playoff appearances. Injuries at the most important position could derail their aspirations. McVay doesn't seem too concerned about Stafford's health, but L.A. should still consider adding another QB as a precaution.
Caitlin Clark drops mic on Kelsey Plum's Instagram post
Caitlin Clark might be the most popular figure in women's basketball right now, but she continues to draw shots left and right, both on and off the court. The Iowa product has stayed even keeled and mostly unrattled, but that doesn't mean she won't fight back. That's why, in the light of Kelsey Plum's recent comments, she decided to take matters into her own hands and clapped back at her with a simple, six-word message. Plum shared a picture of her during the WNBA's All-Star Weekend, which showed half of a Nike logo in the background. Clark was quick to spot it and just wrote "Thank u for the Nike ad." This happened just hours after Plum seemingly took a shot at Clark and her Team Clark teammates for reportedly not getting involved in their pre-game protest. “The T-shirt was determined this morning. Not to tattletale, but zero members of Team Clark were very present for that,” Plum revealed. “That really needed to be mentioned,” Sabrina Ionescu added while both laughed. WNBA All-Stars warmed up with a T-Shirt that read 'Pay us what you owe us,' ahead of their new CBA agreement, which is expected to be signed in the offseason. WNBA players get around 9 percent of the league's revenue, and they're asking for a bigger share since most of them also have to play overseas during the offseason because of the salary disparity. Plum is the vice president of the WNBPA, so it's not surprising to see her so involved in the protest and the demands. Then again, it's hard to understand the reasoning behind the tattle telling, as not only does it show that there might not be a united front ahead of these negotiations, but it also drives attention away from where it should be.
Could this young forward answer multiple questions for the Rangers?
Through much of his time with the New York Rangers, Mika Zibanejad has been too good to be a second-line center, yet not quite a top liner for a contender. Now aging out of his prime, his play has dropped off the past two seasons, only rebounding when moved to the wing next to midseason acquisition J.T. Miller. That presents a problem for New York. The Rangers are not deep down the middle. Moving Zibanejad back to center provides that depth, putting Vincent Trochek back in his appropriate 3C role. But does Zibanejad again suffer without Miller? It also leaves the Blueshirts thin on the right side. Zibanejad can’t play two positions at once and the Rangers cannot rob Peter to pay Paul. There is a solution, however: Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish. Anaheim and New York already have strong front office ties, with a pair of trades in the past eight months. The cross-continental line should be open. McTavish is precisely the player archetype that Rangers general manager Chris Drury has sought in this past year. The 22-year-old possesses good size (6-foot-1, 219 pounds) and plays with a grit that Drury adores. An old-fashioned power forward in the making, McTavish hunts bodies, making life miserable for defenders on the forecheck and finds pockets of space when off the puck, where he unloads a cannon of a shot. An all-situations player, McTavish digs in the corners and is developing nicely as an offensive driver. McTavish is a hard worker who shows leadership traits. New Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan loves to play with speed and relentless pressure, a mantra that suits McTavish down to the ground. For a second-line center, McTavish’s numbers don’t exactly pop off the page, but 52 points (22 goals) in 76 games for a bad Ducks team is nothing to sneeze at. In New York, he would also presumably get to play with Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere. Given the playmaking ability of those wingers and McTavish’s heavy shot, 30-plus goals could be on the cards. Bleacher Report has stated that the Ducks are unlikely to extend McTavish an offer sheet, instead willing to match whatever offer comes his way. Does that mean he is on the trade block? At the very least it means that Anaheim will likely be willing to listen to offers. That said, it would take an almighty package to pry the former No. 3 pick out of Orange County. The Ducks would rightly command a first-round pick — if not two — and a highly-rated prospect. New York has its own first-rounders in store, as well as a, likely, late first-rounder next year, with second-round picks each year except 2027. Would New York part with a first, a second and a pair of its top prospects? The Rangers are loaded with left wing prospects. Whilst Gabe Perrault is likely off the table, Brennan Othmann, Adam Sykora and Brett Berard should be discussed, as should defenseman E.J. Emery. Would picks and a pair of prospects be enough for Anaheim, though? Here’s a thought experiment: a deal centered around Will Cuylle. As mentioned, the Rangers have a raft of left wingers coming through and Lafreniere is also a natural left winger. Would trading Cuylle for McTavish solve the Rangers' issues at the pivot, allowing Zibanejad to help fix the right-hand side and give the team room to develop more youngsters on the left? Could this solve three issues in one swoop? It would be a, potentially, seismic move, but it might just make sense for both teams, especially if the Ducks are not looking to keep McTavish around long-term. It would complete a remarkable offseason for Drury.
Chicago Blackhawks reportedly set to trade 25-year-old goaltender to Stars rival, Edmonton Oilers
NASCAR Hall of Famer spars with media over playoff debate
Mark Martin has made his thoughts on the current NASCAR playoff format known, and those thoughts were further thrust into the limelight on Tuesday. On Tuesday's edition of "Off Track" on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, hosts Danielle Trotta and Larry McReynolds were discussing the committee assembled by NASCAR to look at new ideas for the sport's points format. "I'm not going to mention the driver that's on the playoff committee that I've heard is screaming loudly to go back to that (the Winston Cup points) system," Trotta said. McReynolds followed up by saying, "I bet it's not a driver that's won a championship." While McReynolds did not explicitly refer to Martin — who won 40 Cup Series races and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2017 despite not winning a championship — it appeared to be implied that Martin was the driver he was referring to. Trotta then responded to Martin's dislike of the current Cup Series playoff format. Martin's response was simple. Fans have long debated the merit — or lack thereof — of NASCAR's playoff system, which has been used in some capacity since 2004 and has been in its current iteration since 2017. Interestingly, both Martin and Jeff Gluck of The Athletic polled fans on social media regarding the points format they'd like to see in NASCAR. The results of both polls favored Martin's opinion of a yearlong points system without a postseason. Later in the afternoon, however, McReynolds stated on social media that he was not referring to Martin earlier in the day. "Absolutely not true!," McReynolds said. "Mark Martin is my hero and (I'm) proud to call him a friend! If you would listen closely it’s a driver that is active and on the council! I find it so hard to believe how you folks come up with stuff sometimes!" Regardless of who McReynolds meant to refer to during the show, the comments made by both he and Trotta ignited plenty of discourse regarding Martin and NASCAR's current playoff format. It's unknown whether NASCAR will make any changes to the format in 2026.
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