2025 NFL Draft prospect profile – Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado

Where will Carter play in the NFL?

Colorado’s Travis Hunter is one of the most complicated evaluations in this entire draft class.

He’s commonly held to be one of the best players at any position in this class. He could be the best receiver, or the best cornerback in this class. Hunter has stated that he wants to play both sides of the ball, but could he really withstand the rigors of playing more than 2,000 snaps over the course of a 17-game season?

And could Hunter hit his ceiling at either position while splitting his time and practice between them both?

It’s complicated. But Hunter’s talent makes it worth the effort to figure him out.

Prospect: Travis Hunter (12)
Games Watched: Colorado Offense vs. Nebraska (2024), Colorado Offense vs. Kansas (2024), Colorado Defense vs. Nebraska (2024), Colorado Defense vs. Kansas (2024)
Red Flags: Shoulder (2024)

Measurables

Kent Lee Platte | RAS.football

Strengths

Best traits

• Versatility
• Athleticism
• Football IQ
• Instincts
• Ball skills
• Endurance

Travis Hunter is an incredibly intriguing player with excellent quickness, agility, and fluidity, as well as true “two-way” versatility.

Hunter lined up as both a wide receiver and cornerback for Colorado, and was among the best in the country at both positions in 2024. Several of the same traits were expressed on both sides of the ball and contributed to his success.

He has very quick feet and fluid hips. On defense, they allow him to get and stay in phase with receivers, effortlessly transitioning from his backpedal to running or breaking on the ball. On offense, they allow him to be a precise route runner who quickly breaks back to the ball or accelerates after a cut.

Hunter also has excellent ball skills, quickly locating the ball in the air, tracking it down the field, making last second adjustments, and extending to pluck the ball out of the air. His athleticism showed itself again after the catch, as his quickness and agility allowed him to be a major threat with the ball in his hands. Hunter is a true weapon in catch-and-run situations and Colorado schemed him opportunities with screens, quick timing passes, and other manufactured touches.

Likewise, Hunter is a threat to create turnovers as well as return yardage after intercepting the ball.

Hunter has a high football IQ as well as good instincts on both sides of the ball. He understands both positions from the offensive and defensive perspective, which allow him to find the soft spots in coverage as well as avoid schemed traffic.

Weaknesses

Worst traits

• Long speed
• Physicality
• Durability

Hunter is a remarkably clean player, however he isn’t perfect. There are a couple issues in his profile that need to be considered wherever he plays at the NFL level.

First and foremost, he has a slight build with a narrow frame at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds. It’s possible that his frame is maxed out and he can’t carry any additional mass without compromising his athleticism and movement skills.

There are instances on both his offensive and defensive tape where he struggled to match up physically with bigger and more powerful opponents. Whether that was as a blocker, shedding blockers, on either side of a contested catch situation, or in tackling.

There are also some questions regarding Hunter’s long speed. He isn’t slow by any means, however there were instances where he was initially beaten by opposing receivers and struggled to make up the ground on the move. Many of his big plays on offense also involved using his quickness and agility to create separation, as opposed to outrunning defenders with raw speed.

Game Tape

Offense

Defense

(Hunter is the Colorado receiver — and cornerback — wearing number 12 with a sleeve on his left arm and a band on his right wrist.)

Projection

Travis Hunter projects as a starting wide receiver or cornerback at the NFL level, with Pro Bowl potential at either position.

Hunter will likely need to start on one side of the ball and master that position before being sprinkled in on the other side of the ball. Whether he starts on offense or defense will likely vary from team to team and be based on their scheme and individual needs.

It’s worth noting that Hunter’s frame could factor into how he’s viewed by various teams.

For instance, teams that favor a more aggressive man-based defense could look at Hunter as a wide receiver first, and eventually use him in nickel or dime packages on defense. Teams with more zone-based schemes, meanwhile, could look at him as an outside corner or high-volume slot first and then an offensive weapon for high-leverage situations.

Finally, teams will need to grapple with durability concerns regarding Hunter if he’s to be used as a true “two-way” player. He suffered a shoulder injury in 2024, and teams will need to have a plan to manage him over the course of a year. How his team manages fatigue and injury risk throughout their off-season, pre-season, and in-season programs will be key in determining how successful he can be as a two-way player.

Does he fit the Giants?
Yes.

Final Word: A Top 10 Talent