After playing both offense and defense during his time at Colorado, Travis Hunter has made it clear that he also wants to play both ways in the NFL, which has made him one of the most intriguing prospects in the draft this year.
Hunter is so set on playing both ways that in a recent interview with CBS Sports, he said he’d rather RETIRE than be forced to play just one way. Although the teams at the top of the draft — like the Browns and Giants — seem open to the idea of Hunter playing both receiver and corner, the reality of the situation is that there’s a reason no NFL player has really been able to pull it off over the past 70 years.
Only one player over the past 15 years has been on the field for at least 100 offensive snaps and 100 defensive snaps in the same season and that’s Baltimore’s Patrick Ricard, who played both fullback and defensive tackle in 2019. Ricard’s coach was John Harbaugh, so if anyone is qualified to talk about what it would take to play both ways, it’s definitely the Ravens‘ longtime coach.
According to Harbaugh, the biggest thing that will hinder Hunter’s plan is that there just aren’t “enough hours” in the day to learn everything you need to know about both positions.
“It’s going be interesting to see how they do it, wherever he goes,” Harbaugh said this week. “But to say that you’re going to be completely immersed in everything that there is to know on offense and everything there is to know on defense, I don’t know if there’s enough hours in the day for a player to be able to do that, and to have every detail locked down.”
Although a team might try to let Hunter play both ways full time, Harbaugh thinks he’ll eventually have to pick one position and then play the other one part of the time.
“You certainly could do it, I would think, on one side of the ball and then have some sort of a package on the other side of the ball, which is my guess is how the team will do it, wherever he goes,” Harbaugh said.
If the Browns end up taking Hunter with the second overall pick, that apparently will be their plan. During an interview on Thursday, Browns general manager Andrew Berry said his team would likely try to have Hunter focus on playing receiver while still giving him an opportunity to play some corner.
“We wouldn’t put a cap or a governor in terms of what he could do,” Berry said. “We would see his first home at receiver and his second home on the defensive side of the ball.”
If Hunter is forced to pick one position, former NFL agent Joel Corry recommends receiver with the big reason being that receivers make a lot more money than cornerbacks.
One other issue facing Hunter in his bid to play both ways is that he’ll be facing top talent every week and that can take a toll on you. The talent level in college is uneven, so you’re not facing future NFL players every week, but in the NFL, you’re facing the best of the best every time you step on the field.
Hunter’s plan to play both ways is bold and he’s certainly talented enough to try and make it work, but if Harbaugh is right, it’s a plan that probably won’t end up working.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Buffalo Bills Day 3 mock draft: Trading up for a falling value, targeting special teams
The first two days of the 2025 NFL Draft have concluded, and the Bills held true to their promise by using all three of their early picks on defense. The trio of cornerback Maxwell Hairston, defensive tackle T.J. Sanders and edge rusher Landon Jackson all have the potential to turn into starting players for the Bills over time.AdvertisementBut with the first two days done, it’s time to shift into the depth of the draft and the third day. Saturday will hold the final four rounds, with the Bills holding seven picks at Nos. 132, 169, 170, 173, 177, 206 and 240.And if there’s one thing the Bills have been able to do well over the years in the NFL draft, it’s finding some Day Three gems who turn into down-the-line starters. Since general manager Brandon Beane’s first Bills draft in […]
In Trey Amos, Commanders again get a player atop their board on Day 2 of NFL Draft
ASHBURN, Va. — Forget whether fans approve of the Washington Commanders’ second-round selection. Drafting former Ole Miss cornerback Trey Amos 61st overall had members of the organization’s research and development department roaring with delight.“I don’t know if you guys could hear,” general manager Adam Peters said to local media members moments later, “but our R&D department was probably the loudest.”AdvertisementThe approval wasn’t a display of Ole Miss fandom. Amos, a physical 6-foot-1 press cornerback with 13 credited pass deflections last season, was the data analyst’s top-rated player entering Day 2 of the NFL Draft. They weren’t the only ones in the building who were ecstatic about adding the former Louisiana and Alabama transfer who faced Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels in college.Peters shared that the 2024 first-team All-SEC defender was in consideration with the Commanders’ first-round selection, 29th overall, before landing […]
49ers add beef — and ferocity — to middle of their defense on Day 2 of NFL Draft
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Five of the last seven tailbacks the San Francisco 49ers faced in 2024 ran for more than 100 yards and the team gave up 24 rushing touchdowns on the season, tied for the second most in the NFL.Those dubious statistics seemed to be on the 49ers’ mind on Friday as they focused on bolstering the middle of their defense, beginning with a 332-pound defensive tackle early in the second round and finishing with a 181-pound nickel cornerback late in the third.AdvertisementKyle Shanahan admitted last month’s free-agency period, one in which the team lost eight 2024 starters — “more than we ever (lost) before,” he said — had him nervous about filling those holes in the draft. He said he was feeling a lot better about his roster by the end of the day Friday.“I told John […]
How the Bengals altered their process to — perhaps — finally fix the OL drafting problem
CINCINNATI — Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher doesn’t go on many pro day visits. He traveled to Ohio State and Georgia this year with new offensive line coach Scott Peters alongside him every step of the way.They arrived in Athens, Georgia, with a target on UGA guard Dylan Fairchild and his teammate, Tate Ratledge.AdvertisementWhen Peters started working with Fairchild, and both locked arms, something special happened.“That’s really where it felt like a connection,” Fairchild said.Fairchild, a country-strong, 315-pounder from rural Georgia, started wrestling when he was 6 years old. It defined his transition to football and his becoming a two-year starter at left guard for the Bulldogs. Then there’s Peters, in his first season with Cincinnati, with a background in jujutsu and no stranger to the weight room, himself looking to test Fairchild’s technical skill and power.“I could feel my […]
Why the Browns passed on Shedeur Sanders again on Day 2, drafted Dillon Gabriel
Ralph Vacchiano NFL Reporter <!--> --> For most of the first two nights of the NFL Draft, the biggest surprise was the fact that Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders was not selected.But then, late in the third round, the Cleveland Browns found a way to top that.When they made their selection with the 90th overall pick on Friday night — their fifth pick of the first two days — they didn’t just pass on Sanders again. They passed on him in favor of a quarterback almost nobody thought would go in the first three rounds. Cleveland took Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, a 24-year-old who stands just 5-foot-11 and was a six-year starter at three different schools.Nobody, anywhere, thought he had a shot of getting drafted ahead of Sanders. By this point, Sanders was already having a miserable draft experience. But the […]
In drafting Mason Taylor, Jets transform his father from longtime foe into biggest fan
For years, Jason Taylor mocked the Jets and their fans. It was hard to blame him — he was a Miami Dolphin lifer, a rival. He tormented the Jets during the prime of a Hall of Fame career, and he relished it. In 2004, he called their fans “ignorant.” In 2007, he said they “suck.” In 2009, he called Giants fans “classy” — and Jets fans, not so much. He even joked that he’d rather retire than play for the Jets. But then he did become a Jet.AdvertisementIn 2010, he signed with the Jets, a franchise on the rise under Rex Ryan’s guidance. They’d moved to their new facility in Florham Park a couple years earlier, and Taylor’s locker was in the back corner. He hung out there a lot, happy to chat with anyone — media, teammates, staffers — […]
Related
Buffalo Bills Day 3 mock draft: Trading up for a falling value, targeting special teams
The first two days of the 2025 NFL Draft have concluded, and the Bills held true to their promise by using all three of their early picks on defense. The trio of cornerback Maxwell Hairston, defensive tackle T.J. Sanders and edge rusher Landon Jackson all have the potential to turn into starting players for the Bills over time.AdvertisementBut with the first two days done, it’s time to shift into the depth of the draft and the third day. Saturday will hold the final four rounds, with the Bills holding seven picks at Nos. 132, 169, 170, 173, 177, 206 and 240.And if there’s one thing the Bills have been able to do well over the years in the NFL draft, it’s finding some Day Three gems who turn into down-the-line starters. Since general manager Brandon Beane’s first Bills draft in […]
In Trey Amos, Commanders again get a player atop their board on Day 2 of NFL Draft
ASHBURN, Va. — Forget whether fans approve of the Washington Commanders’ second-round selection. Drafting former Ole Miss cornerback Trey Amos 61st overall had members of the organization’s research and development department roaring with delight.“I don’t know if you guys could hear,” general manager Adam Peters said to local media members moments later, “but our R&D department was probably the loudest.”AdvertisementThe approval wasn’t a display of Ole Miss fandom. Amos, a physical 6-foot-1 press cornerback with 13 credited pass deflections last season, was the data analyst’s top-rated player entering Day 2 of the NFL Draft. They weren’t the only ones in the building who were ecstatic about adding the former Louisiana and Alabama transfer who faced Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels in college.Peters shared that the 2024 first-team All-SEC defender was in consideration with the Commanders’ first-round selection, 29th overall, before landing […]
49ers add beef — and ferocity — to middle of their defense on Day 2 of NFL Draft
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Five of the last seven tailbacks the San Francisco 49ers faced in 2024 ran for more than 100 yards and the team gave up 24 rushing touchdowns on the season, tied for the second most in the NFL.Those dubious statistics seemed to be on the 49ers’ mind on Friday as they focused on bolstering the middle of their defense, beginning with a 332-pound defensive tackle early in the second round and finishing with a 181-pound nickel cornerback late in the third.AdvertisementKyle Shanahan admitted last month’s free-agency period, one in which the team lost eight 2024 starters — “more than we ever (lost) before,” he said — had him nervous about filling those holes in the draft. He said he was feeling a lot better about his roster by the end of the day Friday.“I told John […]
How the Bengals altered their process to — perhaps — finally fix the OL drafting problem
CINCINNATI — Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher doesn’t go on many pro day visits. He traveled to Ohio State and Georgia this year with new offensive line coach Scott Peters alongside him every step of the way.They arrived in Athens, Georgia, with a target on UGA guard Dylan Fairchild and his teammate, Tate Ratledge.AdvertisementWhen Peters started working with Fairchild, and both locked arms, something special happened.“That’s really where it felt like a connection,” Fairchild said.Fairchild, a country-strong, 315-pounder from rural Georgia, started wrestling when he was 6 years old. It defined his transition to football and his becoming a two-year starter at left guard for the Bulldogs. Then there’s Peters, in his first season with Cincinnati, with a background in jujutsu and no stranger to the weight room, himself looking to test Fairchild’s technical skill and power.“I could feel my […]
Why the Browns passed on Shedeur Sanders again on Day 2, drafted Dillon Gabriel
Ralph Vacchiano NFL Reporter <!--> --> For most of the first two nights of the NFL Draft, the biggest surprise was the fact that Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders was not selected.But then, late in the third round, the Cleveland Browns found a way to top that.When they made their selection with the 90th overall pick on Friday night — their fifth pick of the first two days — they didn’t just pass on Sanders again. They passed on him in favor of a quarterback almost nobody thought would go in the first three rounds. Cleveland took Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, a 24-year-old who stands just 5-foot-11 and was a six-year starter at three different schools.Nobody, anywhere, thought he had a shot of getting drafted ahead of Sanders. By this point, Sanders was already having a miserable draft experience. But the […]
In drafting Mason Taylor, Jets transform his father from longtime foe into biggest fan
For years, Jason Taylor mocked the Jets and their fans. It was hard to blame him — he was a Miami Dolphin lifer, a rival. He tormented the Jets during the prime of a Hall of Fame career, and he relished it. In 2004, he called their fans “ignorant.” In 2007, he said they “suck.” In 2009, he called Giants fans “classy” — and Jets fans, not so much. He even joked that he’d rather retire than play for the Jets. But then he did become a Jet.AdvertisementIn 2010, he signed with the Jets, a franchise on the rise under Rex Ryan’s guidance. They’d moved to their new facility in Florham Park a couple years earlier, and Taylor’s locker was in the back corner. He hung out there a lot, happy to chat with anyone — media, teammates, staffers — […]
Be the first to leave a comment