• Jaguars are in prime position to draft Travis Hunter: Hunter would start opposite cornerback Tyson Campbell, which would provide Jacksonville with a legitimate one-two combo at cornerback.
• Could Dallas pick early enough to secure Hunter? The free-falling Cowboys are still in play for Hunter's services, and they could desperately use them.
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Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
Colorado’s Travis Hunter is one of the more special draft prospects in some time. The No. 1 overall recruit in the 2021 class certainly hasn’t come out of nowhere, but it’s still hard to believe just how good he has been.
The two-way phenom has played 519 snaps on defense, primarily at cornerback, and 525 on offense as a wide receiver in 2024. Just for fun, he has also played 21 snaps on special teams. His 1,044 offensive and defensive snaps are 251 more than the next most-worked player in the FBS, Texas Tech offensive tackle Caleb Rogers (793).
Yet, even though volume can make it difficult to continue to grade highly in PFF’s system — due to the standard of playing well for so many plays — Hunter has earned an 86.6 PFF overall defensive grade (fifth among qualifying FBS cornerbacks) and an 84.7 PFF overall offensive grade (eighth among qualifying FBS wide receivers).
Earlier this year, I broke down how Hunter will unlikely be able to continue his two-way usage in the NFL, and why I would like to see him mostly devote his time to cornerback, given that his skill set is rare for that spot. But, there is a world, if he is primarily a cornerback, where he could help an NFL team with some plays at wide receiver each week, too — just not full-time at both positions.
With that said, here are the best team fits for Hunter when it comes to the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, with the context that he isn’t making it out of the top five picks come April.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
The Jaguars are currently slated to pick No. 1 overall after Week 10. Cue “Hello, darkness, my old friend.” It feels like we’re headed toward wholesale changes in the coaching department in Jacksonville as the team tries to get the offense going around franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who is now on a franchise quarterback-caliber contract.
I liked the Jaguars' selection of wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. in 2024, but the job isn’t finished at receiver. While Gabe Davis and Christian Kirk are under contract for next year, Hunter would be able to play a handful of wide receiver snaps each week to give the group a boost.
On the flip side, Hunter would start opposite cornerback Tyson Campbell, which would provide the Jaguars with a legitimate one-two combo at cornerback. And that could turn into a great trio if rookie Jarrian Jones continues to develop at slot cornerback.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
As previously mentioned, I like the idea of Hunter playing mostly at cornerback with some time at wide receiver. What a cornerback duo the Patriots would have if pairing him with Christian Gonzalez. In my mind, this would immediately give New England one of the top play-making cornerback rooms in the NFL. That alone is worth the pick.
But then throw in the fact that Hunter can be a rotational receiver for Drake Maye’s arm talent, and I am all the way in on this landing spot. The Patriots’ wide receiver room's 56.3 PFF receiving grade is the lowest in the NFL. Whatever snaps Hunter could provide there would be a boost.
DALLAS COWBOYS
It feels too obvious, but this landing spot is the inverse of what we have already planned for Hunter with other teams. The Cowboys have DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs, two of the NFL's top play-making cornerbacks when it comes to takeaways. So Hunter would primarily be a receiver next to CeeDee Lamb in Dallas. That could be enough of a reason to like this landing spot.
But selecting Hunter would also give the Cowboys a ton of flexibility. Bland has one year left on his rookie deal before hitting free agency. Perhaps the Cowboys are big spenders in free agency this offseason with edge defender Micah Parsons‘ contract extension looming. They might be strapped for cash at that point, and Bland could hit the market next offseason. If they had Hunter, they could plug him into an outside cornerback spot and acquire other receivers to lessen his workload there. That’s ideal flexibility.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
With Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle on the team, Hunter could be a complementary piece — or an overpowering addition — to the speed the Dolphins already have at wide receiver as their WR3. But he should mainly play at cornerback with Jalen Ramsey to create a feared cornerback duo, along with Jevon Holland as a playmaker on the back end. Then if Hill, who has hinted at retirement before, leaves in the next two years, Miami has a legit speed option to still work alongside Waddle.
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