BEREA, Ohio — With one week until the NFL draft, it remains unclear what position two-way star Travis Hunter will play as a professional — and if he will play on both sides of the ball.
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry, though, believes Hunter is worth one of the top picks in the draft, even if he plays only one position, and compared him to Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani to describe his value.
“It’s a little bit like Ohtani, where when he’s playing one side, he’s an outstanding player,” Berry said Thursday during his predraft news conference. “If he’s a pitcher, he’s a hitter, he’s an outstanding player. You obviously get a unicorn if you use him both ways.”
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Hunter, rated the No. 2 prospect by Scouts Inc., won the Heisman Trophy in college football after playing 1,481 snaps on offense and defense, nearly 300 more than any other player in the FBS. He recorded 15 touchdown catches, tied for second most in the FBS, and intercepted four passes, tied for third most in the Big 12. Hunter, who is currently the betting favorite to be selected by the Browns with the No. 2 pick, has said that he hopes to continue playing both offense and defense in the NFL.
Ohtani, a three-time MVP in Major League Baseball, has starred as both a pitcher and hitter. He won his first two MVPs playing both sides and then captured his third in his first season with the Dodgers last year, becoming the first full-time designated hitter to win an MVP. This came as Ohtani was rehabbing a second major elbow surgery that prevented him from pitching.
Berry has said that the Browns view Hunter primarily as a wide receiver in the NFL but are open to him moonlighting as a defensive back. Berry, though, added that all options remain open for Cleveland as it pertains to the No. 2 pick.
“We’ll use the whole shot clock,” he said.
