Colorado Buffaloes two-way star Travis Hunter will be in high demand among NFL teams as he is set to turn pro after this season, which may end with him winning the Heisman Trophy. Hunter would like to continue both as a cornerback and wide receiver even when he turns pro. However, there’s a good chance teams would rather have him develop only one side of his dual responsibility.
Among those emerging to potentially draft him next year are the Cleveland Browns, who are currently 2-8 entering Week 12. A lot depends on what Cleveland does with its quarterback, Deshaun Watson, which could impact the Browns’ draft decision next year.
Tony Grossi Is Not So Sure of Browns Drafting Travis Hunter
While rumors point to the Browns, who currently hold the No. 3 pick for next year’s draft, to draft Hunter, NFL analyst Tony Grossi is not convinced this is the move they would be considering right now. Grossi instead believes they would rather devise a suitable plan, keeping the long-term future in mind.
“I think they would love to be in a scenario where they’re picking second and Travis Hunter is available because, in that case, they would likely receive a huge trade offer from another team,” Grossi said. “If Andrew Berry is making that decision, I’d say the odds are currently more probable that he trades, even with Travis Hunter on the board.
“Why? Because he needs draft picks to work with. They could trade down three or four spots, draft a tackle, take Cam Ward or another quarterback, and still benefit significantly. They could potentially get an extra first-round pick next year and maybe an additional second-round pick this year. I think they would make that move.”
Would @TonyGrossi be into the Browns drafting Travis Hunter? He's not so sure right now… pic.twitter.com/0Qa2Bpc4OK
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) November 21, 2024
Former Heisman Winner Not Sure Whether Hunter Will Continue Playing 2 Ways in NFL
No one would know better than Johnny Manziel how difficult it is to translate college-level success to pro ranks. The 2012 Heisman-winning quarterback couldn’t sustain the same level of play when he turned pro, as it hardly took two years before he was dropped out of the NFL.
While Manziel acknowledged what Hunter is doing unprecedented, he’s not sure whether he can continue doing the same at the professional level.
“We haven’t seen anything like this,” Manziel said about Hunter. “We haven’t seen anything where a guy’s playing 100 snaps a game, 50 and 50, and really making an impact on both sides of the ball. I think you just see it almost every single week. This guy is just going to be something special, especially when he gets to the next level.
“I mean, that would be the first time that we’ve ever really seen that. I think as you get into the NFL, and as you see with these guys, they’re probably, you might have some packages, or a couple of formations or something that you would see, putting him in at receiver. But I don’t think it’s a full-time thing that you can really do at the next level.”
It’ll be interesting to see how NFL teams use Hunter at the next level. Cornerback? Wide receiver? What do you think?