Travis Hunter already has coaches and executives convinced he can be two-way player in NFL

Travis Hunter arrived at the NFL’s annual scouting combine with a Heisman Trophy resume, an invitation to work out at two positions and ready to answer all doubters.

The former Colorado star already appears to have completed one task this week in Indianapolis — convincing coaches and general managers he can become the league’s first true two-way player in decades, and maybe even play special teams, too.

Hunter is more than a just a curiosity now.

“What do you do with a player like him? And where do you first start him? And where does he help you on all sides of the ball?” Tennessee coach Brian Callahan said. “He can return punts. He’s got a really unique skill set. I don’t think there’s many players you can compare him to.”

Sure, some players have been featured in special packages on both sides of the ball. Some of the most prominent names on that list include Mike Vrabel and Troy Brown of the New England Patriots, William “The Refrigerator” Perry of the Chicago Bears and Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, whose most productive offensive season came as a receiver with the Dallas Cowboys in 1996.

Most consider Hall of Famer Chuck Bednarik the last true two-way star. He started at linebacker and along the offensive line for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1949 to 1962.

The closest contender to Bednarik probably would be either Sanders or Roy Green, who was drafted as a safety, caught 33 passes while playing both ways in 1981 and then led the league with 1,555 yards receiving in 1984.

But unlike 1997 Heisman winner Charles Woodson, the only other defensive player to win college football’s most prestigious award, it appears nothing is out of Hunter’s reach.

“He can be whatever he wants to be, he’s that talented,” Denver Broncos general manager George Paton said. “We’re still working through it, you know, but I think he’s going to play on both sides of the ball. I’ll just leave it at that.”

Hunter certainly thrived in both spots in college, first at Jackson State in Mississippi before following his coach, Sanders, to Boulder, Colorado. In his final two college seasons, Hunter had 153 receptions, 1,979 yards, 20 TDs, broke up 11 passes and had four interceptions.

Combine organizers gave Hunter a defensive backs T-shirt, partly because it gives him the option of doing on-field drills with the defense Friday and offense Saturday — if he chooses.

The first indication he’ll do either, or both, could come Thursday when he’s scheduled to speak with reporters.

Sanders is already lobbying publicly for his star player, urging any team that doesn’t intend to use Hunter as a cornerback and as a receiver to pass on drafting him.

Yet most executives who fielded questions Tuesday seem to concur with Sanders’ assessment that Hunter can excel at both, even if they believe he should start at cornerback as a rookie.

“Travis is obviously an exceptional talent. He can do it all, that’s no secret,” Carolina Panthers coach Dan Morgan said. “Yes, he can play both sides of the ball. That’s up to the team to decide that, whatever team that drafts him.”

One lingering question is how many snaps can Hunter be expected to play at the pro level without declining production?

He held up relatively well at Colorado, where he logged roughly 2,500 snaps between 2023 and 2024. But he’ll be facing bigger, stronger, faster opponents in the NFL, plus a more physical style, a 17-game regular season and even more games if his team makes the playoffs.

Few would argue Hunter is the best athlete in this year’s draft or a legitimate top-five talent, but everyone is trying to figure out just how high someone with Hunter’s talent will go in a draft where quarterbacks tend to be the first pick, the second pick and last year the top three picks.

That could the case again with Tennessee, Cleveland and the New York Giants holding the top three selections with each presumably looking for new franchise quarterbacks.

“I think quarterbacks have kind of a lock on that or maybe a great pass rusher,” Cincinnati Bengals general manager Duke Tobin said when asked about a non-quarterback being the top overall selection. “Or maybe a guy that plays six positions like the one from my alma mater (Colorado). We’ll see.”

But with third-year quarterback Will Levis still on the Titans roster, Callahan and general manager Mike Borgonzi aren’t ruling out anything. Even taking Hunter, who could fill two holes in their rebuilding effort.

“He’s a special player,” Borgonzi said. “We were watching him, and I don’t know if there’s anybody that’s actually done what he’s done in modern-day football, playing both offense and defense during the course of a season. He’s definitely a special player.”

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