Analyst Rich Eisen has urged Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones to make a big-time splash in the 2025 NFL Draft by trading up to get generational two-way prospect Travis Hunter in the first round.
Hunter, a standout wide receiver and cornerback at Colorado, has been projected to be one of the first players off the big board. Dallas owns the No. 12 pick so the Cowboys would likely have to trade up to land Hunter.
Travis Hunter Represents an ‘Injection of Superstardom’
During the April 14 episode of The Rich Eisen Show, Eisen made his case for why Jones and the Dallas front office should strongly consider trading up to land the Colorado Buffaloes star. Directly addressing Jones, he said: “You need an injection of superstardom. You need it, you know you want it.”
The 21-year-old prospect is one of the most unique the NFL has ever seen after dominating college football as a wide receiver and a cornerback. In 2024, Hunter led the Big 12 Conference in receptions (96) and receiving touchdowns (15), respectively, in addition to 1,258 receiving yards.
Those numbers alone would make him the number one wide receiver on draft boards. However, he also contributed on the defensive side of the ball as a shutdown corner, where he recorded 36 combined tackles and 11 passes defended, with four interceptions.
His two-way success emulates Colorado head coach Deion Sanders who played the same two positions in the NFL. However, even the Hall of Famer could barely be considered a true two-way player the way that his prodigy wants to be remembered.
During his college days, Sanders didn’t play offense at all, and in his incredible 14-year NFL career – in which he earned six All-Pro selections and even won the 1994 Defensive Player of the Year – he only recorded 60 total receptions. Sanders was an elite cornerback and fantastic returner, but he only played receiver sparingly. Hunter plans on being an integral part of both the offense and defense of whatever team drafts him.
"All of them if they give me the chance and opportunity to do it."@CUBuffsFootball CB/WR @TravisHunterJr on how many snaps he could play in an NFL game.
📻 https://t.co/u2cRkasH7n#NFLDraft | #GoBuffs | @SXMCollege pic.twitter.com/A7op5fmejI
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) April 7, 2025
How Does Hunter Fit Into the Cowboys’ Plans?
Jones’ negotiations and the resulting contracts for his star players have been well-documented over the last 12 months. The Cowboys signed CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott to lucrative four-year deals. Lamb pocketed $136 million, while Prescott became the highest-paid player in NFL history (at the time) with his $240 million deal, of which $231 million was guaranteed.
Plus, the Cowboys are currently negotiating with elite pass rusher Micah Parsons. He is likely to command over $35 million per year with his new deal. Once all of that money is committed to their three star players, the rest of the roster will have to split the salary cap between them.
This is where Eisen suggested that being aggressive in the draft would help solve this problem. He said: “You’re paying Dak what you’re paying him, and you’re paying CeeDee what you’re paying him, and you’re paying Micah what you’re gonna have to pay him, and what you’re paying [cornerback Trevon] Diggs, and you’re paying all of these stars on your team.”
By trading up for Hunter, they would get an elite playmaker on offense as well as a standout cornerback for the defense, and all on a rookie contract. For the first five years of his career, the Cowboys could potentially have a top wideout and corner on one small contract, offsetting their budgeting problems.
Can Jones Afford to Trade Up for Hunter?
So, he’d be an amazing addition and would relieve some of their financial headaches. But, can Dallas afford to trade up and make it happen? The simple answer is yes, although it would take some magical maneuvering to make it happen.
The Cowboys have the twelfth pick in the draft, which is a valuable trade asset. However, Dallas would have to move up to the second overall pick to have a legitimate shot at Hunter. The Cleveland Browns own the No. 2 pick and their roster is a long way from where they want to be.
Would the Browns be willing to pass on a potential superstar in Hunter? Realistically, to jump from 12 up to the No. 2 pick, the Cowboys would have to include an additional first-round pick, and likely even more than that.
Cleveland’s prediction for how the first 11 selections will go could drastically change their asking price. For example, if they think that Hunter’s teammate Shedeur Sanders might slip to them at No. 12, it might make them less defensive when parting with their pick.
While Dallas can afford to send multiple firsts in a trade – and you could argue that they’d be drafting two players for the price of one pick, anyway – it remains to be seen whether Jones agrees with Eisen that this ‘injection of superstardom’ would be worth two first-round picks and whatever their trade partner ask for on top.