Travis Hunter wants to play cornerback and wide receiver in the NFL, and he plans to push to do that full-time.
And if Hunter gets that opportunity, the Heisman Trophy-winning star would become the league’s first truly two-way player since Chuck Bednarik played center and linebacker for the Eagles in the 1950s.
Daboll was wowed by Hunter after watching all his plays in college – 688 defensive snaps and 672 on offense last season alone – and there’s no question he will receive strong consideration for the Giants with their No. 3 pick, as will his quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, provided Cam Ward and Abdul Carter go 1-2 to the Titans and the Browns.
If Hunter lands in Cleveland, the Giants would have a choice between Carter and Sanders.
The Giants see Hunter as a prospect who can impact both sides of the ball, likely with his top priority at corner and an uncommon ability to contribute right away on offense, those familiar with the team’s thinking throughout the evaluation process told NorthJersey.com and The Record. The difference here would be not just a physical challenge but a mental one for Hunter to learn the defense AND the offense as a rookie, as Daboll noted.
“He’s just so rare. I thought at Jackson State, [Hunter] was relying a ton on just his athletic instincts,” ESPN analyst Jordan Reid told NorthJersey.com and The Record. “But at Colorado, you started to see him notice concepts on the defensive side. Also as a receiver, being able to read and react to coverages on the run, and understanding what defenders were going to try to do to him. So, just raising his football IQ and awareness, that’s where Coach Prime really came in handy; but also teaching him the technical aspects of playing defensive back and not so much relying on his athletic instincts.”
Hunter wants to play 100% of the snaps on both sides of the ball in the NFL, and that’s what he has been telling teams in his meetings when the topic arises. His reasoning: “They say, ‘Nobody has ever done it the way I do it,’ [and] I tell them, ‘I’m just different.’”
At 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, Hunter certainly thrived in both spots in college, first at Jackson State before following his coach, Deion, and his quarterback, Shedeur, to Boulder. In his final two college seasons, Hunter had 153 receptions, 1,979 yards, 20 TDs, broke up 11 passes and had four interceptions.
“We’re in a unique position that we have three good receivers and we like our secondary right now. So our situation will be unique,” Giants GM Joe Schoen said. “I would not be afraid to play [Hunter] on both sides of the ball.”
Hunter is one of our five favorite fits for the Giants, and here’s how the position stacks up:
Giants CB depth chart
Who’s new: Paulson Adebo (Saints, free agency), Nic Jones (Chiefs, futures contract)
Who left: Adoree Jackson (Eagles, free agency)
What they still need: The Giants can certainly add talent to this group, but they are banking on Adebo being a significant upgrade. That should allow Banks to settle in at CB2 with Phillips in line for a breakout in the slot. Flott showed signs of coming into his own on the boundary before an injury ended his year and momentum yet again.
Depth chart: Paulson Adebo, Tae Banks, Dru Phillips, Cor’Dale Flott, Tre Hawkins, Art Green, Dee Williams, Nic Jones
Here are four more of our CB favorites for Big Blue
Korie Black, Oklahoma State: Black was a three-year starter for the Cowboys, logging over 2,300 career snaps primarily lined up on the boundary, according to Pro Football Focus. He is a solid tackler while being efficient in coverage, allowing a career completion rate of only 53% with four career interceptions and 19 pass breakups. Met with the Giants at Big 12 Pro Day as well.
Denzel Burke, Ohio State: Fresh off winning the national championship, Burke excels as a versatile defender who can play both press and off coverage. His physicality in run support shows up, which is appealing to the way the Giants want their defensive backs to play on the edge. He has good size (6-foot-1, 194) and length to become even more effective in the NFL.
Trey Amos, Ole Miss: Amos (6-foot-1, 190) is an incredible athlete and his ceiling will depend on the intricacies of having to cover the freaks in the NFL who take their game to the next level from a technical standpoint as well. The Alabama transfer is a versatile corner capable of playing in both man and zone coverage schemes
Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky: The 6-foot-1, 175-pound cornerback is extremely confident in his ability. During his media session at the Combine, when asked to describe his game in one word, Hairston called himself, “The Locksmith.” He has tremendous speed, was impressive at the Senior Bowl and could blaze in the 40, approaching record times.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: 2025 NFL Draft: Our favorite cornerback fits for NY Giants
Travis Hunter wants to play cornerback and wide receiver in the NFL, and he plans to push to do that full-time.
And if Hunter gets that opportunity, the Heisman Trophy-winning star would become the league’s first truly two-way player since Chuck Bednarik played center and linebacker for the Eagles in the 1950s.
Daboll was wowed by Hunter after watching all his plays in college – 688 defensive snaps and 672 on offense last season alone – and there’s no question he will receive strong consideration for the Giants with their No. 3 pick, as will his quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, provided Cam Ward and Abdul Carter go 1-2 to the Titans and the Browns.
If Hunter lands in Cleveland, the Giants would have a choice between Carter and Sanders.
The Giants see Hunter as a prospect who can impact both sides of the ball, likely with his top priority at corner and an uncommon ability to contribute right away on offense, those familiar with the team’s thinking throughout the evaluation process told NorthJersey.com and The Record. The difference here would be not just a physical challenge but a mental one for Hunter to learn the defense AND the offense as a rookie, as Daboll noted.
“He’s just so rare. I thought at Jackson State, [Hunter] was relying a ton on just his athletic instincts,” ESPN analyst Jordan Reid told NorthJersey.com and The Record. “But at Colorado, you started to see him notice concepts on the defensive side. Also as a receiver, being able to read and react to coverages on the run, and understanding what defenders were going to try to do to him. So, just raising his football IQ and awareness, that’s where Coach Prime really came in handy; but also teaching him the technical aspects of playing defensive back and not so much relying on his athletic instincts.”
Hunter wants to play 100% of the snaps on both sides of the ball in the NFL, and that’s what he has been telling teams in his meetings when the topic arises. His reasoning: “They say, ‘Nobody has ever done it the way I do it,’ [and] I tell them, ‘I’m just different.’”
At 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, Hunter certainly thrived in both spots in college, first at Jackson State before following his coach, Deion, and his quarterback, Shedeur, to Boulder. In his final two college seasons, Hunter had 153 receptions, 1,979 yards, 20 TDs, broke up 11 passes and had four interceptions.
“We’re in a unique position that we have three good receivers and we like our secondary right now. So our situation will be unique,” Giants GM Joe Schoen said. “I would not be afraid to play [Hunter] on both sides of the ball.”
Hunter is one of our five favorite fits for the Giants, and here’s how the position stacks up:
Giants CB depth chart
Who’s new: Paulson Adebo (Saints, free agency), Nic Jones (Chiefs, futures contract)
Who left: Adoree Jackson (Eagles, free agency)
What they still need: The Giants can certainly add talent to this group, but they are banking on Adebo being a significant upgrade. That should allow Banks to settle in at CB2 with Phillips in line for a breakout in the slot. Flott showed signs of coming into his own on the boundary before an injury ended his year and momentum yet again.
Depth chart: Paulson Adebo, Tae Banks, Dru Phillips, Cor’Dale Flott, Tre Hawkins, Art Green, Dee Williams, Nic Jones
Here are four more of our CB favorites for Big Blue
Korie Black, Oklahoma State: Black was a three-year starter for the Cowboys, logging over 2,300 career snaps primarily lined up on the boundary, according to Pro Football Focus. He is a solid tackler while being efficient in coverage, allowing a career completion rate of only 53% with four career interceptions and 19 pass breakups. Met with the Giants at Big 12 Pro Day as well.
Denzel Burke, Ohio State: Fresh off winning the national championship, Burke excels as a versatile defender who can play both press and off coverage. His physicality in run support shows up, which is appealing to the way the Giants want their defensive backs to play on the edge. He has good size (6-foot-1, 194) and length to become even more effective in the NFL.
Trey Amos, Ole Miss: Amos (6-foot-1, 190) is an incredible athlete and his ceiling will depend on the intricacies of having to cover the freaks in the NFL who take their game to the next level from a technical standpoint as well. The Alabama transfer is a versatile corner capable of playing in both man and zone coverage schemes
Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky: The 6-foot-1, 175-pound cornerback is extremely confident in his ability. During his media session at the Combine, when asked to describe his game in one word, Hairston called himself, “The Locksmith.” He has tremendous speed, was impressive at the Senior Bowl and could blaze in the 40, approaching record times.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: 2025 NFL Draft: Our favorite cornerback fits for NY Giants
