The 2025 NFL Draft will soon take center stage with prospects being put under the microscope. Teams and media members will dig into a player’s background to determine what kind of person they are while also going through their on-field ability with a fine-tooth comb.
Travis Hunter is one of the biggest names that will be called in Green Bay and a legendary receiver gave him some advice in a recent PFSN interview.
What Challenges Is Travis Hunter Going To Face if He Tries To Play Both Ways?
Hunter was easily the most exciting player in college football the last two seasons. The true junior won multiple awards in 2024 while playing both ways at receiver and cornerback. His accolades include the Heisman Trophy, the Walter Camp Award, the Biletnikoff Award (nation’s best receiver), and the Bednarik Award (nation’s best defensive player).
Playing both ways takes an extreme toll on a player’s body so professionals tend to stick to one side, with cameo appearances on the other side when needed. Whoever drafts Hunter will ultimately decide where he plays, but he’s shown his body can handle double duty averaging a whopping 113 snaps a game in 2024.
His final season at Colorado was the stuff of legend. In 13 games he had 96 receptions for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also recorded 36 tackles, four interceptions, and 11 passes defended. Those are video game numbers from a 21-year-old.
It would be exciting to see him try playing both ways at the next level, but three-time Super Bowl Champion Julian Edelman shared his thoughts on why that’s not a great idea.
“I think just his durability,” said the Super Bowl 53 MVP, “It’s tough. The more football you play, the less safe it is. That’s just the truth.” Edelman is no stranger to injuries as he missed the 2017 season with a torn ACL.
He went on to discuss how different the college season is to the NFL, “In college, you can withstand a lot of these hits, but when you get up to the big boys league, that 18-week season that’s coming here soon, 17 weeks, you’re done after 12 weeks in college. You have a whole other season in the pros.” Many rookies hit a wall towards the end of their first year as their bodies aren’t used to such a long season.
Rookies coming from teams that make a College Football Playoff run get the experience of an extended season, but the majority of players have their season end as NFL teams start gearing up for the postseason.
Edelman’s biggest concern is the injury risk Hunter will face in the NFL, regardless of whether he plays both ways or not, “I just think the durability, he’s a specimen, but that durability factor, when you play more football, you take more hits, you’re on the field, there’s more opportunity for you to get hurt.”
Hunter’s college coach, Deion Sanders, is the best resource he can utilize when deciding what position to play. Sanders made brief appearances on offense while primarily playing cornerback during his Hall-of-Fame 14-year career.
Hunter is expected to be taken high in the upcoming draft and is slated at No. 4 overall in PFSN’s latest mock draft. Wherever he ends up he’ll have to make an immediate impact.