Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter has made it clear he wants to remain a two-way star in the NFL once he officially begins his pro career as a first-round draft pick this coming Thursday night.
For an article produced by The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman that was published on Monday, unnamed NFL coaches and other personnel offered different takes regarding what Hunter will and won’t be as a rookie trying to play on both offense and defense later this year.
“I think he is a defensive back wanting to play receiver, not the other way around,” an offensive coordinator said about Hunter. “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.”
As of late Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Hunter as the betting favorite at -900 odds to be the draft’s second pick. There was no indication at that time that the Cleveland Browns were exploring trading out of what seems likely to become the Hunter selection.
During his predraft news conference, Browns general manager Andrew Berry said that “we would see [Hunter’s] first home as receiver and his second home as the defensive side of the ball.” One scouting director told Feldman that Hunter should focus on cornerback, but a passing coordinator compared the to-be rookie to an All-Pro offensive weapon.
“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,” that coordinator said about Hunter.
Cleveland needs help at receiver and cornerback, which is why he is seen as such an ideal fit for the organization. For a piece posted on April 17, ESPN’s Field Yates named Hunter the top-rated prospect in this year’s class and said the unicorn “has rare versatility and a legitimate path to a Pro Bowl career as either a wide receiver or a cornerback.”
“Is he gonna fully commit to doing that (playing defensive back)? I believe that it does take a lot to become a really good corner in this league beyond just having a lot of God-given ability,” a defensive backs coach said about Hunter. “He has the ball skills and ability to be a No. 1 corner if he was fully committed to it.”
Recent history shows it’s easier for clubs to find receivers rather than cornerbacks each offseason. That said, only time will tell if Hunter’s NFL team will abandon what should be a unique experiment this fall or thrive with Hunter playing more than a handful of snaps on both sides of the ball each game.
