Former New York Jets scout Daniel Kelly believes that Colorado Buffaloes dual threat standout Travis Hunter is a better wide receiver than cornerback. Earlier in the week, Kelly, under the X profile “FIRST ROUND MOCK,” broke down why he thought Hunter projected stronger at receiver than cornerback.
Hunter had a phenomenal campaign on both sides of the ball this year for the Buffaloes. Offensively, he amassed 96 receptions, 1,258 receiving yards, and 16 total touchdowns. Defensively, he had four interceptions and one forced fumble on the year.
So why does Kelly think Hunter will make a better receiver?
Daniel Kelly’s Travis Hunter Positional Assessment
Kelly took to X to explain what position he thought Hunter was stronger at. He attached two separate articles and detailed how his game film from the past two seasons at Colorado makes him think that Hunter will be a stronger wide receiver than cornerback once drafted into the NFL.
“Travis Hunter’s 2023 and 2024 game film at Colorado translates to him being a better #NFL receiver than a cornerback,” the post was captioned.
Travis Hunter’s 2023 and 2024 game film at Colorado translates to him being a better #NFL receiver than a cornerback:
2023➡️ https://t.co/QssEliI26Q
2024➡️ https://t.co/Um2sAPvFvo pic.twitter.com/Q1vQAQSU44
— FIRST ROUND MOCK (@firstroundmock) February 6, 2025
Travis Hunter 2025 NFL Draft Projection
There is no doubting the talent and skills Hunter has, however, there has been some debate among analysts and fans about whether Hunter can play both sides of the ball on a full time basis at the NFL level. As a result, there seems to be some variation in where draft analysts project Hunter in their respective mock drafts.
Pro Football Network Draft Analyst Matthew Cannata had Hunter as a top-five pick in his recent 7-round 2025 NFL Mock Draft, as he was selected No. 4 overall by the New England Patriots.
“Travis Hunter is one of one. If we had allowed ourselves to split the player into a cornerback and wide receiver, he would have ranked first and 12th, respectively. He’s the top cornerback in the NFL Draft, and he’s the best receiver. His rare ball skills as a wide receiver translate to the other side of the ball, and he’s played with more physicality in 2024 than in 2023.
“Hunter won’t play full-time on both sides at the next level. Teams must decide if he’s more valuable to them as a full-time defensive or offensive player.
“All that said, it would be malpractice to take away a potentially generational defensive prospect from that side of the ball entirely. A ‘best of both worlds’ scenario would be playing 80-100% of the team’s defensive snaps while also playing 10-20% of the offensive snaps.”
