Travis Hunter saying he plans to be a full-time two-way player in the NFL is a lot different than pulling it off. We’re looking into the versatile players of the past, and whether it’s worth it for Hunter and the franchise that selects him in the 2025 NFL Draft.
One of the bigger questions of the 2025 NFL Draft centers on Colorado cornerback and wide receiver Travis Hunter.
It’s not about where he should be drafted – most experts agree he’s a top-five player – it’s his position that’s been a major point of contention.
Or positions.
Last season, Hunter played 1,463 total snaps at Colorado as both a receiver and cornerback – 715 on offense and 748 on defense – the most by any player in college since at least 2017.
Hunter was wildly successful at each position: He won the Biletnikoff Award for the nation’s top receiver, the Bednarik Award as the defensive player of the year, and the Heisman Trophy for the nation’s top player overall.
Hunter is now looking to do something no one has done in the modern NFL: Play 100% of a team’s offensive and defensive snaps in a season. It’s a lofty goal that he believes he can accomplish, but the execution is a bit more complicated for a variety of reasons.
Only 11 players have played at least 20 snaps on both offense and defense in an NFL season since 2012, and only one was primarily a cornerback – Patrick Peterson in 2013. He played only 38 offensive snaps to 1,074 defensive snaps, so it wasn’t quite the split Hunter is targeting.
The rest of the 11 players were either fullbacks, defensive linemen or offensive linemen, and they didn’t get close to the amount of snaps that would categorize them as true two-way players.
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Coincidentally, the closest to reach Hunter’s goal was his college head coach at Jackson State and Colorado, Deion Sanders.
The Hall of Famer started eight games at both wide receiver and cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys in 1996, but he only played 50% of the team’s offensive snaps versus 90% of their defensive snaps, per ESPN.
Again, not quite where Hunter’s head is at in terms of his usage.
Sanders also accomplished this feat in only one of his 14 NFL seasons. While he saw offensive snaps in 142 other games, he never garnered more than 11 targets in a season apart from his 67-target campaign (including the playoffs) of 1996.
The key element in all of this will be Hunter’s NFL team, as he might get the opportunity to play both positions if it needs someone on both sides of the ball.
Teams with top-five picks are in that boat. The Cleveland Browns, who pick second behind the Tennessee Titans, need a WR1 and a CB2; the New York Giants (third) a WR2 and CB1; the New England Patriots (fourth) a WR1 and a CB2; and the Jacksonville Jaguars (fifth) a WR2 and CB1.
You get the picture: Most, if not all, of the teams in the top 10 would love Hunter on either side of the ball, and he could slot in anywhere to start immediately.
Hunter as a WR and CB in 2024
From a numbers perspective, the Heisman Trophy winner was elite last year.
He finished with 96 receptions and 15 touchdown catches to lead the Big 12, and ranked second with 1,258 receiving yards (those stats also tied for fourth, tied for second and ranked fifth in FBS college football, respectively). He also had four interceptions, 11 passes breakups, 35 tackles and one forced fumble on defense.
On its surface, Hunter is a surefire blue-chip prospect at both wide receiver and cornerback. But the idea that he could play at an elite level as a full-time starter at both positions is hard to imagine because of the up-leveling it takes to play in the NFL as well as the unprecedented amount of snaps he’d have to endure as well.
Let’s take a look at Hunter’s abilities at cornerback and receiver, as well as how much he’d have to play in an NFL season.
Hunter the Cornerback
Hunter began his collegiate career at cornerback before he became a fully fledged two-way player. The 2024 Bednarik Award reflects his elite abilities at defensive back.
His cornerback advanced metrics weren’t terribly consistent, as his burn rate allowed ranked in the top 15 of 140 FBS draft-eligible prospects, while his open rate allowed ranked outside the top 100. However, Hunter was one of the least-targeted cornerbacks among the draft-eligible players with at least 250 pass coverage snaps. He was targeted on only 11.7% of his pass-coverage snaps, which ranked as the ninth fewest among the group.
His 15 passes defensed tied for sixth in the FBS. He also rarely allowed long passes, as his average of 9.8 deep yards allowed tied for 12th-fewest of the aforementioned draft-eligible group.
If NFL teams want Hunter to play cornerback as much as he did at receiver, he would be best suited as one who wouldn’t be required to shadow an opposing team’s top pass catcher.
He’s solid in coverage, but the constant strain of defending a heavily targeted player could wear on his ability to contribute on offense as well and maintain the same level of conditioning on both sides of the ball.
Hunter the Wide Receiver
While taking a top-flight cornerback early isn’t unprecedented, most teams with a top-10 pick should be interested in Hunter’s ability to play wide receiver. The 6-foot, 188-pound standout is a bit skinny, but certainly big enough to play the position, as evidenced by his production. He has a knack for the ball and is great at possessing catches – two necessary traits for being a top-targeted player on offense.
Now, Hunter can be guarded by a defender. He ranks highly in open rate but less so in burn rate, meaning he can find windows to catch passes but won’t necessarily break away from defensive backs. That makes his role in an offense a bit nuanced, but it also opens him up to being a big contributor early in his career.
The best part about Hunter as a receiver, though, is that he doesn’t drop the ball. His 96.0% catch rate ranked fifth among draft-eligible receivers with at least 95 targets in 2024. This can likely be attributed to his cornerback prowess, but Hunter’s nose for the ball makes him an ideal addition to an offense.
Hunter was a prolific pass catcher in his final collegiate season. For the team drafting him early, he’ll need to continue to be that if his new club covets his offensive production more than his defensive ability.
The Impending Snap Share
This is where things will get a little tricky for Hunter.
His skill sets as a top cornerback and receiver are inarguable, but the wear and tear on his body will be hard to predict given that the amount of snaps he wants to play.
In the NFL last year, 15 receivers played in more than 900 offensive snaps. Only three reached at least 1,000: Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings), Terry McLaurin (Washington Commanders) and Amon-Ra St. Brown (Detroit Lions).
On the defensive side, 24 cornerbacks played more than 900 defensive snaps, with 11 going 1,000+ (including two rookies: Quinyon Mitchell of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Commanders’ Mike Sainristil). Just two played more than 1,100 snaps (Mike Jackson of the Carolina Panthers and Cam Taylor-Britt of the Cincinnati Bengals)
For Hunter to play 100% of his team’s offensive and defensive snaps, he’s looking at somewhere between 1,800 and 2,150 total snaps. That would be at least 500 more snaps than Jackson, who led the NFL with 1,308 snaps in 17 games last season (1,205 on defense and 103 on special teams).
Is this an impossible feat? No, but it would be incredibly unprecedented. Including Jackson, there have only been six other players since 1970 with more than 1,300 snaps, led by Malcolm Jenkins (1,360 for the 2015 Eagles). But all six combined defensive and special teams snaps.
Hunter wants to do it on offense and defense, and at a higher rate than all six.
The Verdict
So to answer the original question: Yes, Hunter probably can play that many snaps on both sides of the ball. He played a high volume in college and is motivated to do it in the NFL.
He also believes he can prepare his body for that type of work, so who are we to say he can’t?
But the NFL is a different beast than college, and teams using a premium pick on Hunter want him to be a franchise player who can be on the field for a long time. More playing time opens him up to more injuries.
That’s the biggest concern more than his ability to play both positions.
And it’s up to him and his next team to make that decision.
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