Travis

Hunter

Schefter made this point while speaking on NFL Live on ESPN. The NFL’s premier insider was confident the Browns would be drafting a quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick a month ago. The team hasn’t done anything at quarterback outside of swapping Dorian Thompson-Robinson for Kenny Pickett in a trade. Still, some quarterback dominoes have since fallen and the Browns’ front office may want to get another year closer to the end of Deshaun Watson’s fully guaranteed contract before spinning the wheel at quarterback again. If that’s the case, the only realistic options for Cleveland are Carter and Colorado’s Travis Hunter.

It’s not the first time Wolf has suggested this, but speaking in front of season ticket holders over the weekend, the Patriots GM doubled down on a line he said earlier this offseason at the scouting combine. According to Wolf, the team “filled a lot of needs already in free agency,” which he hopes will allow them to take the BPA in next month’s draft. The Patriots hold the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, which could give them a chance to land Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter, who could fill multiple needs wherever he ends up. If they were drafting for need, they’d likely settle on a left tackle at No. 4 overall.

The Browns are starting their top-30 visits off with the top projected prospects in the draft. Ward and Sanders are the top quarterbacks on the board and very much in play for the No. 2 pick. If the Browns choose to hold off on a quarterback selection, Carter and Hunter are the top non-quarterback prospects on the board. Given the Browns have to manage the Deshaun Watson situation and do not currently have a quarterback plan, Ward and Sanders are the guys to keep an eye on in Cleveland this week.

The Titans will begin their top-30 visits with Miami QB Cam Ward and Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders before moving onto Carter and Hunter. While Carter is likely still the favorite to go No. 1 overall to the Titans, it is worth noting that the Titans are prioritizing the quarterback interviews at this time. Davenport notes that the Titans’ “goal is to have visits with the top four prospects before the start of free agency on [Wednesday], Mar 12.”

The Titans now get the opportunity to go in-depth with the 2025 draft class’ top-four prospects. These valuable top-30 visits are one way for the public to parse the mixed signals that NFL front offices begin sending out at this time of the year. If an NFL team opts to host a prospect via an official visit, it suggests they are strongly considering them as draft-day targets.

Hunter made clear that he would “like to play both” cornerback and wide receiver in the NFL but critically acknowledged that it is “not [his] job” to make that determination. Hunter’s desire to maintain his unique dual-threat college role could rub NFL coaches the wrong way. Emphasizing his willingness to earn both roles, as a team-first player, could go a long way toward fitting into an NFL team’s perceptions of what is “coachable.” Hunter seems likely to come off the board in the first five picks.

Disappointing, but not surprising. Per Tomasson, an NFL official passed on this information regarding Hunter’s decision to skip combine workouts, meaning we won’t get a chance to look at the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner until Colorado’s pro day. An elite two-way player in college, Hunter could have the opportunity to play a similar dual role in the NFL, although that decision will likely depend on the team that drafts him. Colorado has not yet set a date for their pro day, but with Shedeur Sanders also expected to participate, it’s safe to say it will be one of the most anticipated pro days of this year’s NFL Draft news cycle.

“I don’t know if there’s anybody that’s actually done what he’s done in the modern-day football, playing both offense and defense during the course of a season. So he’s definitely a special player,” Borgonzi elaborated. Borgonzi was asked about a handful of the top prospects in the draft in the context of his earlier “generational talent” quote. The quotes show that he praised Hunter fairly generously while mostly avoiding talking about Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter when asked. Is Borgonzi hiding an interest in Carter while being more chatty about someone he intends to pick? It’s easy to read too far into this in either direction. Assuming the Titans don’t take a quarterback, these two seem likely picks for the Titans at No. 1 overall. Unless they trade the pick, that is.

Berry called Hunter “a bit of a unicorn” and noted that he can play both cornerback and wide receiver at a high level. The Browns, who hold the second overall pick, are in a prime position to draft Hunter in two months. If they do, it looks like he would open the year as Cleveland’s No. 2 receiver opposite Jerry Jeudy. Even if receiver is his primary role, we would still expect him to get some reps at cornerback as a rookie.

The question everybody wants answered is whether or not Hunter will play as a defensive back or as a receiver at the pro level. While this list doesn’t put any guarantees on how Hunter will be utilized once he reaches the NFL, it perhaps offers some insight into how teams view him heading into the draft. The two-way player excelled as both a defensive back and receiver during his three college seasons and was awarded the Heisman Trophy for his efforts last season. It’s still possible Hunter will do some drills with the receivers, but we may not get more clarity on that until the combine.