Will Colorado’s Travis Hunter continue to be a jack-of-all-trades in the NFL?
On a Zoom call with the media Thursday, the Buffaloes wide receiver/defensive back confirmed he will enter the 2025 NFL Draft — scheduled for April 24-26 in Green Bay — and said he wants to keep playing both ways in the NFL.
“They said I couldn’t [play both ways] in college,” Hunter said, per USA Today’s Brent Schrotenboer. “I ended up doing it in college. So a lot of people telling me I can’t do it in the NFL, but I’m still gonna do it in the NFL.
“They don’t want me to be a high risk, you know, if I go top pick — they don’t want their top pick to go down too early. I believe I can do it. Nobody has stopped me from doing it this far. I believe I can keep doing it, and I like it when people can tell me I can’t do it because it just motivates me to continue to do what I want to do.”
Two-way players aren’t as rare as they seem. In 10 games this season, Los Angeles Chargers/fullback defensive lineman Scott Matlock has played 214 offensive snaps and 85 defensive snaps, via Pro Football Reference.
In a 2017 article, NFL.com noted 11 players have lined up on both sides of the ball in recent years. The list didn’t include Pro Football Hall of Fame DB Champ Bailey, but he occasionally played WR in 15 seasons with the Commanders and Broncos.
Unlike Hunter, those players weren’t full-time two-way players. Per Pro Football Focus, he has played 1,176 total snaps (590 offensive and 586 defensive) in 10 games this season.
Of course, the junior has excelled at both positions. On offense, the 21-year-old has 74 receptions for 911 yards and nine TD catches. On defense, he’s recorded three interceptions and eight passes defended.
Despite the impressive numbers, Bailey insists it’s better to specialize in the league.
“Now, you could be a special kind of guy, come in, run a few plays. OK, that’s fine, but don’t try to do both at a high level,” Bailey told ESPN’s Domonique Foxworthy in August. “Don’t try to be [Vikings WR] Justin Jefferson and [Broncos CB] Patrick Surtain II. You better pick one, or you’re going to get exposed.”
During a recent “SportsCenter” segment, ESPN’s Matt Miller said Hunter could start as a two-way player but should eventually switch to WR, which seems smart.
While Hunter is determined to prove his doubters wrong, he must realize that trying to play both ways may lead to more wear and tear, preventing him from fulfilling his potential.