One of the biggest question marks heading into the 2025 NFL Draft is Travis Hunter. While his credentials as the reigning Heisman Trophy winner are undeniable, questions about his effectiveness as a two-way threat at the NFL level continue to be a hot topic.
The Colorado Buffaloes superstar has made it clear he wants to make an impact on both sides of the ball. One NFL analyst has an idea of how that could happen—even if it’s in a slightly modified form.
How Does Travis Hunter Play in the NFL?
The latest mock draft from PFSN expects Hunter to land with the New York Giants at No. 3 overall. And in the Big Apple, Jacob Infante expects Hunter to play on both sides of the ball.
But Infante made it clear he thinks Hunter projects best as a cornerback. “While he has upside as a receiver, his elite ball skills and fluidity make him even more dangerous as a cornerback.” That lines up with what NFL draft analyst Joel Klatt thinks too.
On the “Up & Adams” show with Kay Adams, Klatt broke down what makes Hunter different from every other two-way player in football history.
“All these guys that have done two positions majored in one and minored in another. Usually, [they] majored in defense and minored in some special personnel group [or] situation on the offensive side of the ball.”
But Hunter is different. “This guy is in the top one or two corners in the draft and he’s in the top one or two wide receivers in the draft. He is fully both positions, which is mind-blowing.”
Even with all that talent, the question still remains: how should he be used?
“I think that he’s going to play both, Kay. I think he’s going to succeed on both sides of the ball.” According to Klatt, teams still debating his usage include those picking at the top of the draft.
Joel Klatt's strategy on how to use Travis Hunter in the NFL
"You make him a corner and then you make him your #3 wide receiver" 🤔@heykayadams | @JoelKlatt pic.twitter.com/ZLpFkX60XY
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) April 14, 2025
Klatt’s answer is pretty straightforward. “You make him your corner and then you make him your number three wide receiver.”
Why? “Because your number three wide receiver is a starter and he’s fully in the gameplan. And yet you’re going to limit his snaps just based on personnel groups and the game situation—probably to be about 25 to 35.”
That might be the best-case scenario: Hunter contributing on both sides while still preserving his long-term health.
“Therefore, you can play the 60 to 65 snaps of defense, you can play the 30 to 35 snaps of offense, and you’re sitting there at under 100 snaps for the majority of his time.” At Colorado, Hunter was regularly clocking in near 120 snaps per game, so the reduction would be significant.
Klatt also threw out the idea of flipping that script entirely and making Hunter an offensive weapon first.
“You make him fully a wide receiver because of what he can provide to a young quarterback—maybe like Drake Maye—then you make him kind of a dime/nickel box player who thrives as an instinct player in the middle of the field and you utilize his ball skills.”
Klatt, for what it’s worth, has Hunter going to the Cleveland Browns at No. 2. But Adams agrees with PFSN’s mock draft and says she’d love to see the Buffaloes star under the bright New York lights with head coach Brian Daboll—or even in New England with Mike Vrabel if he falls that far.
How teams decide to use him will ultimately come down to coaching philosophy and roster construction. But his versatility, efficiency and raw talent make it entirely possible that Travis Hunter becomes a legitimate two-way force in the NFL.