Travis Hunter arrived at the NFL scouting combine with a resume worthy of the Heisman Trophy, an invitation to work out at two positions, and a determination to prove himself to any skeptics. The former Colorado star seems to have already achieved one of his goals in Indianapolis: convincing coaches and general managers that he can be the NFL’s first true two-way player in decades, with the possibility of even contributing on special teams. Hunter is no longer just a player to watch with curiosity.
Tennessee coach Brian Callahan remarked, “What do you do with a player like him? Where do you start him, and how does he help on all sides of the ball?” He added, “He can return punts, and his skill set is really unique. There aren’t many players you can compare him to.”
While some players have been used in special packages on both offense and defense, notable names like Mike Vrabel and Troy Brown of the New England Patriots, William “The Refrigerator” Perry of the Chicago Bears, and Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders — who had his most productive offensive season as a receiver with the Dallas Cowboys in 1996 — come to mind.
Many people regard Hall of Famer Chuck Bednarik as the last true two-way player. He played both linebacker and on the offensive line for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1949 to 1962. The closest players to Bednarik in terms of two-way ability might be Deion Sanders or Roy Green. Green was drafted as a safety, played both ways in 1981 while catching 33 passes, and then led the league in receiving yards with 1,555 in 1984.
However, unlike 1997 Heisman winner Charles Woodson, the only other defensive player to win college football’s top honor, Hunter seems to have no limits to his potential.
“He can be whatever he wants to be, he’s that talented,” said George Paton, general manager of the Denver Broncos. “We’re still working through it, but I think he’s going to play on both sides of the ball. I’ll just leave it at that.”
Hunter proved his versatility in college, initially at Jackson State in Mississippi and then following his coach, Deion Sanders, to Boulder, Colorado. Over his final two seasons, he recorded 153 receptions, 1,979 yards, 20 touchdowns, broke up 11 passes, and had four interceptions.
At the NFL scouting combine, organizers gave Hunter a defensive back’s shirt, allowing him to participate in drills with both the defense on Friday and the offense on Saturday, should he choose to.
His first hint about whether he will focus on one or both positions might come on Thursday when he is scheduled to speak with reporters. Coach Sanders is already publicly advocating for his star player, urging any team that doesn’t plan to use Hunter as both a cornerback and a receiver to avoid drafting him.
Despite that, many executives who were asked about Hunter on Tuesday seem to agree with Sanders’ opinion that he has the potential to excel on both sides of the ball, though they believe he should start at cornerback in his rookie season.
“Travis is obviously an exceptional talent. He can do it all, that’s no secret,” said Dan Morgan, coach of the Carolina Panthers. “Yes, he can play both sides of the ball. That’s up to the team to decide, whatever team drafts him.”
One key question surrounding Hunter is how many snaps he can realistically handle at the professional level without his performance declining. At Colorado, he managed about 2,500 snaps between 2023 and 2024, and he performed well. However, in the NFL, he’ll face larger, faster, and stronger opponents, as well as a more physical style of play, a 17-game regular season, and potentially more games if his team makes the playoffs.
While it’s hard to argue that Hunter isn’t one of the most athletic players in this year’s draft, and certainly a top-five talent, there’s still a lot of curiosity around how high a player with his unique skill set will be selected in a draft typically dominated by quarterbacks. Last year, the top three picks were all quarterbacks, and this trend could continue, especially with Tennessee, Cleveland, and the New York Giants holding the top three picks, all likely to target new franchise quarterbacks.
“I think quarterbacks are pretty much a lock for the top picks, or maybe a standout pass rusher,” said Duke Tobin, general manager of the Cincinnati Bengals, when asked about a non-quarterback potentially being the first overall pick. “Or maybe someone who can play six positions, like the one from my alma mater (Colorado). We’ll see.”
Despite the presence of third-year quarterback Will Levis on the Titans’ roster, coach Brian Callahan and general manager Mike Borgonzi are keeping all options open, including selecting Hunter, who could address two needs in their rebuilding process.
“He’s a special player,” Borgonzi remarked. “We’ve been watching him, and I don’t think anyone has really done what he’s done in modern football, playing both offense and defense in a season. He’s definitely a unique talent.”