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Travis Hunter excelled as a two-way superstar at Colorado. Whether he will play cornerback or wide receiver in the NFL is among the top questions of the 2025 draft.
NFL coaches, executives and scouts have varying opinions of Hunter's position at the next level. However, many think he would be best utilized as a shutdown corner.
“I think he is a defensive back wanting to play receiver, not the other way around,” an NFL offensive coordinator told the Athletic's Bruce Feldman. “If he really wants to be a wide receiver, he’s got to commit to being a wide receiver. Watch (Colorado’s) pro day; he does all this stuff (on his routes) that doesn’t matter. All this extra stuff at the line of scrimmage. You’re not gonna have time to do all of that. His explosiveness and ball skills are what are so great about him. But walking up, man to man, Jalen Ramsey’s over you, what is he gonna do? He’s gonna have to grow up fast.”
While Hunter's upside as a lockdown corner is tantalizing, so are his fluidity and ball skills as a receiver.
NFL coaches, executives chime in on Travis Hunter's NFL positon
One NFL passing coordinator compared the Colorado star to the NFL's top pass-catcher.
“Oh my God! He could be Justin Jefferson, but he can really play corner. It’s gonna be an interesting case study because we’ve never seen this,” he said.
Few NFL players have attempted to play both offense and defense. While many scouts and coaches feel Travis Hunter would be best-suited focusing his efforts on one side of the ball, the projected top-3 pick isn't inclined to do so.
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Hunter recently said he would quit football if a team told him they would only allow him to play either cornerback or receiver.
“It's never playing football again,” he told CBS Sports. “Because I've been doing it my whole life, and I love being on the football field. I feel like I could dominate on each side of the ball, so I really enjoy doing it… I just feel very confident in myself, and I got a competitive spirit that I can do whatever I put my mind to, and I feel like I can do it.”
Hunter is likely to be selected by the Cleveland Browns or New York Giants, who hold the second and third picks in the draft, respectively. Giants general manager Joe Schoen said he wouldn't be afraid to play the college phenom on both sides of the ball.
“He’s fun to watch,” Schoen told reporters. “It’s unique that [he has] the ball skills, the route ability, and then also the ability to go to the other side and play corner. You just don’t see that very often. A lot of times, if these guys can’t catch or they can’t play receiver, then they get moved to DB. But this guy can do it all. So, he’s also a great kid. So, it’d be hard to keep him off the field, and he’s motivated to play both ways.”
“We’re in a unique position that we have three good receivers and we like our secondary right now, so our situation would be unique… We would not be afraid to play him on both sides of the ball.”
It won't be long until Hunter's NFL team reveals how they plan to utilize him. The NFL draft will begin on Thursday.
