The one thing that I haven't been able to find out about Travis Hunter is how highly rated he is at either WR or CB. As in, if he were in last year's draft and was being drafted solely as a WR, would he have been in the same picture as Nabers/Odunze/Harrison Jr. Likewise, as a CB would he be as highly rated as Sauce was coming into the 2022 draft. People are really enamored by him playing both positions well, but can he come straight into the NFL and be one of the top guys in either position? From what I gather he's most likely to primarily play CB and then be schemed into some offensive snaps.
NFL 2025
- Thread starter Sandyman
- Start date
He's pretty good, but not nearly as good as his hype might suggest (if that makes sense). Being a part of the Deion Sanders hype machine at CU, has raised the profiles of Shedeur and Travis to the next level. Both are good players, but the jury is still out on how they will fare in the NFL. I would be surprised if Travis is allowed to play both sides (other than the odd gadget play here and there) in the NFL.
I have no idea where McCord will go, but i suspect the fact that he led college football in passing yards won't go unnoticed by any team in search of a non first round QB
Interesting. I assume he's going to be drafted on the basis that he'll be a CB and they will then see how much they can get him in the offense. This isn't just because of him being rated slightly higher as a CB...I reckon it's just not possible to be a part time DB whereas you can plug him into a number of offensive plays far easier.
Let's say the Browns draft him at 2. They have apparently lost Elijah Moore to free agency (unless they resign him) so may look at Travis at receiver initially. I just think whoever coaches him in the pros will quickly realize that he won't be as effective if he's constantly plays on both sides, and will force him to choose one where he plays most of the time. If i was Stefanski I would stick him on offense and placate his two way desires by allowing him to play occasional CB in nickel packages.
For some reason, I've always had it in my head that Travis Hunter is a better DB than he is a WR. I think he'll be a full-time starter at cornerback who occasionally plays WR.
He had the 2nd most receptions among powerful schools last year (96 rec and over 1200 yards receiving), so whatever he was doing on defense (4 INTs), his numbers on offense seem far more dominant. That's not to say he's guaranteed to play offense in the pros.
Well from all accounts he will be a CB who plays some WR in the NFL. I think people are slightly underrating how good he is, I am no draft expert but most experts rate him as one of the only two elite talents in the draft and this is clear with the fact that he will only play majority one side of the ball in the NFL
Hunter has a >90% success rate vs Man, Zone, and Press (a very rare all green report card on Reception Perception). He’s an elite WR prospect and the Browns seem to consider him a WR first.
The rationale behind playing him at CB is that’s it’s more difficult to find top-tier play from CBs than WRs; in the end it depends on what organization he lands at. If he lands in Cleveland, I think he’s a WR first. If he doesn’t then it’s all up in the air.
The rationale behind playing him at CB is that’s it’s more difficult to find top-tier play from CBs than WRs; in the end it depends on what organization he lands at. If he lands in Cleveland, I think he’s a WR first. If he doesn’t then it’s all up in the air.
The usual suspects - Kiper et al - mentioned Hunter's route running and ball instincts may make him an elite WR at the pro level. He's already an elite CB prospect so he may well get 30+ snaps on each side, at least early on. I think first injury caution and/or nasty hit by a DB, if it occurs, and the coaches may limit O+D snaps for a bit (and front office possibly directing so with money factoring). Deion did it for a full-ish season in 1996* but that's about all I can recall, everyone else in the modern era was limited to a few plays on their opposite side.
*Irvin was suspended first 5 games and K.Williams missed six games mid-season. By end of season Deion had "dropped" to WR-4 behind Irvin, Williams, and Martin and focused more on punt returns with around 10-20 offensive plays from what I recall. He was too valuable at CB and PR heading into the playoffs and with three solid WRs available and fit.
*Irvin was suspended first 5 games and K.Williams missed six games mid-season. By end of season Deion had "dropped" to WR-4 behind Irvin, Williams, and Martin and focused more on punt returns with around 10-20 offensive plays from what I recall. He was too valuable at CB and PR heading into the playoffs and with three solid WRs available and fit.
I think the potential trouble with Travis is he has been indoctrinated into the mindset by Deion that he can be a consistent 2 way player in the pros and according to the above article, is apparently insisting Goodell introduce him as a WR and CB. That sort of mindset is a recipe for conflict down the road, since his pro coach will probably try to maximize his effectiveness by playing him more consistently on one side or the other to mitigate risk. As in, if Travis is a starting WR and CB on the Browns depth chart and goes down to long term injury, then Browns are hosed on not one but two starting skill positions. And frankly Travis Hunter isn't Deion Sanders (the player). There will never be another one of those. Travis' WR style reminds me a bit of a slightly more athletic version of Devonta Smith at Bama.
Some GMs see him as a WR first - Browns reportedly one of them
What will happen with Travis Hunter, Colorado’s Heisman Trophy-winning, two-way phenomenon?
“I think he is a defensive back wanting to play receiver, not the other way around,” said OC No. 2. “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.”
We’ve seen other elite athletes excel at cornerback and play both ways in college, most notably Charles Woodson and Champ Bailey, but they only dabbled on offense — just like Hunter’s mentor Deion Sanders did in the NFL. In 2024, the 6-feet, 188-pound Hunter almost always logged well over 100 snaps every game, showing off a gas tank unlike any ever seen in major college football. As a receiver, he caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2024.
“He has all the talent, but he is pretty raw as a route runner,” said WR coach No. 1. “That’s not his fault. You can’t be 100 percent dialed in if you’re literally playing both ways. He’s a freak show when it comes to his ball skills. He just doesn’t believe there’s a ball he can’t catch, regardless of where the DB is.”
Scouting director No. 1 said he thinks Hunter should play corner: “I think you’re doing him and the team a disservice if you’re not playing him at corner. He helps your roster because he can play both, but I think he’s more of a package player at receiver. At corner, he can get you 10 interceptions a season.”
Who is to make that decision, the team that’s likely spending a top-5 pick or Hunter himself? He said last week that he’d “quit football” if he wasn’t allowed to play both ways.
“I think you let him figure that out,” said the scouting director. “You be open-minded to it. At Colorado, he didn’t practice much because he took so many reps. In the league, you’ve just got to let him know these are the practice demands.”
Defensive backs coach No. 1, whose team isn’t expected to have a shot at Hunter, felt strongly that teams should make him a corner who has a package at receiver, not the other way around.
“It’s like the difference between a starting pitcher and a closer,” said DB coach No. 1. “A corner is like a starting pitcher. He needs to amass reps throughout the entirety of a game. That’s when he’s rendered most effective. You’re not looking for him to get three outs in nine pitches. You need him to play the long game. Be willing to give up a hit here. Give up a walk to a guy there. Be willing for it to get sticky in certain situations.
“When you play outside corner, that’s the parallel. It’s a long game. Get a feel for what routes you’re seeing and when they’re targeting guys. It’s very tough to just come into that. Greg Maddux couldn’t just come into the game in the eighth inning and get you three outs. Part of his genius is that he paints a whole picture. That’s the same way with a corner. You’ve got to paint the whole picture.”
The tricky part of all of this is that Hunter is seen by many as the most talented wideout in this year’s draft.
“I think he’s awesome,” said WR coach No. 2. “He does a lot of things on tape that you can’t teach, and the stuff that he struggles with, you can teach him. Like some of the fundamentals, the things you do at the top of routes, and some of the details, like little route-technique stuff, stuff that when you’re playing 150 snaps a game, it’s hard to hone in on that kind of stuff. But from an instinct, play-making skill, and the mindset he has, I think he can be awesome at wide receiver.”
WR coach No. 3 said he thinks Hunter is “a great receiver” because of his rare twitch, separation skills and ball skills from almost all the other receivers in this draft.
“He did a little too much (dancing in his routes at Colorado’s pro day) but that’s kind of par for the course, especially when they’re doing routes on air at a pro day where they make all these moves and do stuff that looks good for YouTube but is not necessarily realistic in a game. But sometimes those moves work. He’s raw, but not as raw as you would think for playing over 100 snaps in a game and doesn’t necessarily get all the coaching that you would get if you were on one side of the ball or another.”
When asked about Hunter’s potential as a receiver, passing coordinator No. 1 gushed: “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.”
Hunter dominated on both sides at Colorado, but the NFL isn’t the Big 12. As talented as he is — several secondary coaches I talked to say he’s by far the top cornerback prospect in this class and probably in the past few years — there is some risk involved if teams opt to go the two-way route with him.
“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,” said DB coach No. 2. “He has the ball skills and ability to be a No. 1 corner if he was fully committed to it.”
“He’s the best athlete and pure player in this draft,” said OC No. 1.
“I think he is a defensive back wanting to play receiver, not the other way around,” said OC No. 2. “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.”
We’ve seen other elite athletes excel at cornerback and play both ways in college, most notably Charles Woodson and Champ Bailey, but they only dabbled on offense — just like Hunter’s mentor Deion Sanders did in the NFL. In 2024, the 6-feet, 188-pound Hunter almost always logged well over 100 snaps every game, showing off a gas tank unlike any ever seen in major college football. As a receiver, he caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2024.
“He has all the talent, but he is pretty raw as a route runner,” said WR coach No. 1. “That’s not his fault. You can’t be 100 percent dialed in if you’re literally playing both ways. He’s a freak show when it comes to his ball skills. He just doesn’t believe there’s a ball he can’t catch, regardless of where the DB is.”
Scouting director No. 1 said he thinks Hunter should play corner: “I think you’re doing him and the team a disservice if you’re not playing him at corner. He helps your roster because he can play both, but I think he’s more of a package player at receiver. At corner, he can get you 10 interceptions a season.”
Who is to make that decision, the team that’s likely spending a top-5 pick or Hunter himself? He said last week that he’d “quit football” if he wasn’t allowed to play both ways.
“I think you let him figure that out,” said the scouting director. “You be open-minded to it. At Colorado, he didn’t practice much because he took so many reps. In the league, you’ve just got to let him know these are the practice demands.”
Defensive backs coach No. 1, whose team isn’t expected to have a shot at Hunter, felt strongly that teams should make him a corner who has a package at receiver, not the other way around.
“It’s like the difference between a starting pitcher and a closer,” said DB coach No. 1. “A corner is like a starting pitcher. He needs to amass reps throughout the entirety of a game. That’s when he’s rendered most effective. You’re not looking for him to get three outs in nine pitches. You need him to play the long game. Be willing to give up a hit here. Give up a walk to a guy there. Be willing for it to get sticky in certain situations.
“When you play outside corner, that’s the parallel. It’s a long game. Get a feel for what routes you’re seeing and when they’re targeting guys. It’s very tough to just come into that. Greg Maddux couldn’t just come into the game in the eighth inning and get you three outs. Part of his genius is that he paints a whole picture. That’s the same way with a corner. You’ve got to paint the whole picture.”
The tricky part of all of this is that Hunter is seen by many as the most talented wideout in this year’s draft.
“I think he’s awesome,” said WR coach No. 2. “He does a lot of things on tape that you can’t teach, and the stuff that he struggles with, you can teach him. Like some of the fundamentals, the things you do at the top of routes, and some of the details, like little route-technique stuff, stuff that when you’re playing 150 snaps a game, it’s hard to hone in on that kind of stuff. But from an instinct, play-making skill, and the mindset he has, I think he can be awesome at wide receiver.”
WR coach No. 3 said he thinks Hunter is “a great receiver” because of his rare twitch, separation skills and ball skills from almost all the other receivers in this draft.
“He did a little too much (dancing in his routes at Colorado’s pro day) but that’s kind of par for the course, especially when they’re doing routes on air at a pro day where they make all these moves and do stuff that looks good for YouTube but is not necessarily realistic in a game. But sometimes those moves work. He’s raw, but not as raw as you would think for playing over 100 snaps in a game and doesn’t necessarily get all the coaching that you would get if you were on one side of the ball or another.”
When asked about Hunter’s potential as a receiver, passing coordinator No. 1 gushed: “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.”
Hunter dominated on both sides at Colorado, but the NFL isn’t the Big 12. As talented as he is — several secondary coaches I talked to say he’s by far the top cornerback prospect in this class and probably in the past few years — there is some risk involved if teams opt to go the two-way route with him.
“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,” said DB coach No. 2. “He has the ball skills and ability to be a No. 1 corner if he was fully committed to it.”
“He’s the best athlete and pure player in this draft,” said OC No. 1.
I really hope the Giants take a QB but it's looking likely that they will take Carter
Interesting.
Shannon Sharpe has been accused of raping a woman. He has released this statement:
Christ
. That's enough internet for one day.
Christ
. That's enough internet for one day.Shannon Sharpe has been accused of raping a woman. He has released this statement:
Christ
Should be an interesting trial given who the lawyers are. Shannon is apparently being repped by Michael Cohen’s lawyer and the accuser by a lawyer who won big money in the Deshaun Watson case.
Waiting for Skip to comment.
Hunter has insane body control and natural instincts on both ends. He is a ridiculous athlete and the best WR and best CB in this draft.
Tyler Warren will be a bust.
Colston Loveland >
Zero chance of that
I’m a big fan of Loveland, but I think Warren is better. He was so dominant last year.
Gimmick player. Manufactured touches.
Loved the part about second round QB picks in this. In the last 10 years Hurts is the only QB drafted in the second round who got a second contract with the team that drafted him
Does that really still matter if it works?* The likes of Ladd McConkey (and I think Zay Flowers) also had a very weird, low aDOT route tree and translated pretty well to the league. Someone like Bowers could also be described as manufactured touches around the LOS.
*Haven't watched one snap of Tyler Warren though
Is there any reason why the Patriots arent drafting Jeanty rather than an under sized tackle. That Joe milton game in week 18 properly fecked them
Last edited:
Ladd is a good blocker, can play multiple wr spots and was an elite route runner.
Bowers was nfl ready as a freshman.
Warren split time with Theo Johnson as a senior and only produced as a covid super senior. Not the same.
Charging by the cheek in this economy?Shannon Sharpe has been accused of raping a woman. He has released this statement:
Christ
Big day today.
So looks like the draft is going the same way as the off season so far - boring
I think the Chiefs are just drafting BPA and maybe moving up if an OT they like falls to 25. Pretty apathetic about this draft so I'll probably watch the first couple of picks then go to bed.
If Sanders really ends up in PIT then everybody can get their popcorn out…
Over/under on the number of hours before the draft Aaron Rodgers makes his attention seeking social media post?
Never really manage to stay up for the draft. Thursday night is just a shit time for the draft
Within 90 mins of the start of the draft
Always stay up but not this year. Best place to watch the day after in the UK? Is it on game pass?
Bleacher Report had a good one last year on YouTube with CJ Stroud and Micah Parsons.
They got Micah to list his top 3 he wanted Jerry to draft. They then drafted Guyton and he was visibly NOT happy. Was fecking funny.
Easy to say with hindsight, but the Dallas pods i listen to were all not keen on Guyton pre draft. Not as a day 1 pick at least anyway. I wonder how much Micah was aware of that, or perhaps he watches film too.