Charles McDonald: Putting Travis Hunter anywhere but the top spot feels like overthinking, even if he doesn’t end up living up to the lofty hype he set for himself after a once-in-a-lifetime college career. Hunter won the Bednarik Award for the best defensive player in college football and the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to the best wide receiver in the country.
He’s a legitimate first-round prospect at wide receiver and cornerback, thanks to some otherworldly ball skills and overall athleticism that make him an impact player on both sides of the ball.
So far, Hunter is adamant on playing both sides of the ball in the NFL, which will prove tough, but it’s hard to doubt someone who has already made it this far on his talents.
Hunter might be a bit more “pro ready” at cornerback right now where his instincts and athleticism can make him a nuisance for passing games, but a play at wide receiver is completely defensible, and exciting, as well. The term “generational” gets thrown around way too much in draft coverage, but for someone like Hunter, it actually applies.
Nate Tice: The most dynamic players in the country, Hunter was a game-changer at cornerback and wide receiver in college, but his best path as a professional is as a full-time defender with a dollop of offense in there.
Think a usage resembling his coach/mentor Deion Sanders when he played with the Dallas Cowboys in 1996.
Hunter can consistently stay sticky to his coverage assignment, showing off the quickness and body control to thrive in man-to-man situations, with the excellent burst to make plays on the football and nullify the receiver. He plays with a high level of intelligence for the position, and will take calculated gambles to fall off his coverage assignment and even bait quarterbacks into potential interception opportunities.
Hunter’s ball skills and feel for the position are rare. His athleticism unlocked by his innate ability to always find — and come down with — the football. Hunter just seems to make a big play in every quarter of the game.
The ball skills, quickness and body control all show up when Hunter plays wide receiver, too, but he is more raw at the position, lacking the refinement that he shows on the other side of the ball — but he has rapidly improved this season. He also plays bigger than his listed size because of his hands and hand-eye coordination, while also being able to create with the ball in his hands.
These skills make two-way play at the next level a real possibility, even if it’s for a small package of plays.
Hunter’s moderate bulk does not come up as a tackler. He’s a physical defender, but it is also a reason why I have some hesitation about Hunter being full-time player on both sides in the NFL (along with the sheer mental load, but that’s something that can come with time).
No matter what, Hunter is a helluva player and whatever team drafts him is getting a game-changing talent.
Nate Tice: Kaleb Johnson (6-foot-1, 224 pounds at the combine) plays and runs like if you took a shrink ray to Derrick Henry. He's a big, long striding back wit
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