ClutchPoints
Heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, one of the biggest questions surrounding the top of the class is what position should Colorado’s Travis Hunter play: wide receiver or cornerback?
Now granted, part of Hunter’s appearance is this position versatility, as he played both cornerback and wide receiver at an elite level in college and could probably play snaps at both positions again at the NFL level if his team suffered an injury or needed a play made on an important drive. Some believe Hunter could be an elite wide receiver, others like his potential as a full-time outside cornerback, and others still believe his game is best used as a subpackage specialist, playing cornerback in nickel position while logging snaps in the slot on offense as well.
While Hunter has more or less let it be known that he wants to prepare for the 2025 NFL Draft as a cornerback, doing DB drills at the combine while having his measurables against other defensive backfield players, in the opinion of ESPN’s Matt Miller, one of the top scouts in the industry, his best position may be on the offensive side of the ball. Why? Because the veteran talent evaluator sees a lot of LSU legend Odell Beckham Jr. in Hunter’s game heading into the 2025 NFL Combine.
“The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy because of his two-way ability, but I think his biggest NFL impact will come at receiver, which is why I rated him here. (He’d be my No. 2 cornerback if he exclusively played defense). Hunter’s playmaking ability, burst in space, and easy speed are a joy to watch,” Miller wrote for ESPN.
“He’s electric on both sides of the ball. On offense, he had 96 receptions for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns. On defense, he had four interceptions and 10 pass breakups. And he could be a great punt returner, too.”
Goodness, while Hunter is widely considered one of, if not the top player in the NFL, coming up with a player comp has been incredibly difficult because he simply is so unique at the game’s highest level. He’s a big, strong, likely fast wide receiver who could unquestionably become a WR1 if he hits his ceiling. But how many of those players could then have the athletic abilities to follow opposing WR1s, from the fluidity to the change-of-direction ability, and just the ability to read plays effectively backward?
No, what Miller’s evaluation proves is that the NFL really doesn’t have a consensus on Hunter just yet, with some teams likely viewing him as a cornerback, others at wide receiver, and others still falling somewhere in the middle. While only time will tell where he sticks at the NFL level, the real question is a simple one: what do Tennessee and Cleveland think about Hunter, as he will almost certainly be calling one of those two cities home by the end of April?
The post [Travis Hunter earns eyebrow-raising Odell Beckham Jr. comp before NFL...
