The New England Patriots can go in a variety of different directions with the No. 4 overall pick in the NFL Draft, but the general consensus has long been that they will select one of Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter or Will Campbell.
But could the Patriots shock everyone by picking an entirely unexpected player? Keagen Stiefel of NESN thinks so, predicting New England to trade down to the seventh overall pick to select Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren.
"Tyler Warren is perhaps the best offensive player in this draft class, with the skillset to become a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses," Stiefel wrote. "Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels knows a thing or two about maximizing the strengths of similar prospects and could get the most out of a player that would immediately become a difference-maker for Drake Maye."
Warren is being viewed by many as a generational talent at his position, much like Brock Bowers last year. However, Warren might actually be even better.
This past season, the 22-year-old hauled in 104 receptions for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns, truly tremendous numbers for a collegiate tight end.
Warren arrived at Penn State in 2020 but did not take on a significant role until 2023, when he caught 34 passes for 422 yards and seven scores. Obviously, he did not really break out before 2024.
Of course, tight end is actually one of the only positions where the Pats are set. Hunter Henry is one of the more reliable tight ends in football, and the Patriots re-signed Austin Hooper in free agency. But Warren is the type of player you can't ignore if he is on the board.
If both Hunter and Carter are unavailable before New England picks at number four, which is entirely possible, trading down is a very realistic scenario for the Pats, and Warren would then be in play.
