NFL scouts reveal at combine which position 2025 NFL Draft prospect Travis Hunter should play when he gets to the league
Is Travis Hunter a wide receiver, a corner, or both at the NFL level?That is the debate surrounding Hunter until he is drafted, and see the role his new team envisions for the 2024 Heisman winner. The NFL Scouting Combine is a unique time of year when all 32 teams have reps in one place […]
Is Travis Hunter a wide receiver, a corner, or both at the NFL level?
That is the debate surrounding Hunter until he is drafted, and see the role his new team envisions for the 2024 Heisman winner. The NFL Scouting Combine is a unique time of year when all 32 teams have reps in one place at the same time. Everyone travels to Indianapolis, Indiana, to get an up-close look at the top prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft class.
This has allowed me to catch up with scouts that I've built relationships with over the years, so I picked their brains on how they view Hunter and which position their team currently has him listed at.
Should Travis Hunter play corner or wide receiver in the NFL?
I was able to speak with eight scouts in total. Five of them shared with me that their team views Hunter as a WR, and three have him listed as a CB. When asked if they see him having a role on both sides, they all agreed it would be a mistake not to utilize his unicorn ability to play both positions at a high level.
Below, you can find answers given by two of the scouts I spoke with. One that has him as a WR and one that has him as a CB.
Scout 1: Hunter = WR
"I think he (Travis Hunter) has All-Pro potential at both positions, but if he is going to play both sides I think his play at corner might end up having some up-and-down moments due to the fatigue that will likely come with it. And playing corner in today's league is just so damn hard. I also think he is the top WR in the class and will likely demand WR money down the line if he is playing both sides, so you might as well have him play there primarily and reap those benefits."
Scout 2: Hunter = CB
"The term generational gets thrown around a lot, but his ability to do what he does on both sides of the ball is just that, generational. You don't find corners with his (Travis Hunter) instincts very often, but his big play ability as a receiver would be foolish not to utilize. At the end of the day, I think you have more chances to find difference-makers at receiver each year in the draft compared to finding corners. If he is going to play both ways, I also think that is more realistic if the largest sum of his snap count comes on the defensive side of the ball and you just highlight plays and certain packages to get him run on offense."
What I would do
Ultimately, I think the only wrong way to use Hunter is not to use him. His ability to play both ways needs to be explored early in his career. If it, for some reason, doesn't translate from college to the NFL as a team would like, then you can make a more definitive decision about which side of the ball he will play solely.
I think finding a player who can make plays like Hunter does at WR before and after the ball is in his hands is too valuable not to have him spend a significant amount of his time on the field doing it. So, I would have him be a full-time starter at WR and use him at CB in clear pass downs and late-game situations.
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