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With a decision that needed making, it was my call to group Travis Hunter with the cornerbacks rather than the wide receivers even though his playing time at Colorado the past two seasons was almost evenly split.
Of course, that doesn’t at all indicate whether Hunter will play offense, defense or both after he’s selected early in the NFL draft.
Six executives in personnel were split on Hunter’s best position. Three said wide receiver, three said cornerback. He is the top-graded player at each spot.
What they were in agreement on is that Hunter wouldn’t be able to log the 150 or so snaps from scrimmage that he did for the Buffaloes at an effective and injury-free level in the NFL.
“There’s absolutely no way he can do them both full-time,” said one executive. “They’ll just wear him out. Each team will look at him differently as far as what they want to do with him.”
As an all-time prospect with corner-wideout versatility, Hunter drew comparisons with three Hall of Fame enshrinees: Deion Sanders, his coach at Colorado in 2023-’24; Charles Woodson, a fellow Heisman Trophy winner, and Champ Bailey.
Sanders returned punts during his four seasons at Florida State but never played offense. He ran track for the Seminoles, qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 100 and 200 meters, and played two seasons of collegiate baseball and one month of minor-league baseball as a center fielder.
At 5-11 ¾ and 182 pounds, Sanders ran the 40 at the combine in 4.29 seconds before being chosen No. 5 in 1989 behind Troy Aikman, Tony Mandarich, Barry Sanders and Derrick Thomas. His two-way work in the NFL included 60 receptions for 784 yards (13.1 average) and three touchdowns.
“I’ve never seen a better defensive back,” Dick Steinberg, New England’s director of player development with two decades of scouting experience, told me before that draft. “The most dominating college defensive back I ever saw before this guy was Willie Buchanon.”
Ron Wolf, then Al Davis’s top scout with the Los Angeles Raiders, called Sanders a “rare player.”
Woodson (6-0 7/8, 200, 4.43), who in 1998 became the first defensive player to win the Heisman, not only returned punts at Michigan but also found time in 1996-’97 to catch 21 passes for 370 (17.6) and three touchdowns. He was drafted No. 4 overall.
“If they were in the draft at the same time I would take this guy,” Charley Armey, the St. Louis Rams’ personnel director, said before the 1999 draft regarding his preference of Woodson over Sanders. “He will be a much better football player all-around, from A to Z.”
After Woodson destroyed Michigan State with two interceptions in 1988, former NFL center and ESPN analyst Bill Curry said, “The last cornerback I can remember making plays like that was Herb Adderley.”
Woodson’s brief exposure on offense in the NFL was limited to two receptions.
Before the 1999 draft, Bailey (5-11 ¾, 184, 4.35) received a final grade of 7.25 from Joel Buchsbaum, the pioneering independent scout for Pro Football Weekly. The year before, Woodson was handed an 8.01.
However, Bailey was so good moonlighting as a wide receiver at Georgia that Buchsbaum gave him a 6.05, which ranked fourth at the position behind Torry Holt, David Boston and Troy Edwards.
“He’s a quicker athlete and more instinctive than Woodson,” Armey said in the runup to the ’99 draft. “He doesn’t have Deion’s speed but he has awful good quickness.”
Bailey, who had a 42-inch vertical jump and a score of 25 on the Wonderlic test, caught 47 passes and rushed 16 times as a senior for the Bulldogs. He was the No. 7 selection.
“Can be a great cornerback or wide receiver,” Buchsbaum wrote before Bailey’s rookie season in Washington. “Might even do both at the same time.”
In his 15-year NFL career, Bailey caught just four passes.
In any event, Hunter is primed to become just the seventh top-5 cornerback since 2011.
“Champ Bailey was super athletic,” a longtime scout said. “Travis is probably a little twitchier in a short area. Charles Woodson was a much bigger man. Hunter’s a really good prospect but just because of his size he’s not quite graded as high as Charles Woodson.”
“As a receiver, he’s quick as ****. I mean, explosive. His hands are rare, rare, rare. I don’t know if I’ve seen someone catch the ball like he does. Doesn’t have a lot of big plays downfield. That’s really the only thing you don’t see, and a lot of that is the way they use him … More of a press guy. When he’s off, you see a little bit of getting turned around and not great change of direction. Might have the best hands ever for a corner. In run support he’s not the toughest but you’ll learn to live with that.” As the nation’s No. 1 recruit in 2022, he surprised many by signing with FCS Jackson State. Played eight games for the HBCU, making two interceptions and catching 18 passes. “We ended up with him on the corner board because we felt there was a million receivers and there’s eight corners,” a third scout said. “He’s sizeable enough even though he’s somewhat narrow. He is just kind of out there playing right now without a lot of technique. If he will really zero in on the technique he can be sensational. He’s willing to tackle. He’s not 6-1, 205. He’s a little more on the slender side.” Played 22 games at Colorado, finishing with 66 tackles, seven interceptions and 16 passes defensed. As a receiver, he caught 153 passes for 1,979 yards (12.9-yard average) and 20 touchdowns. “I’d play him at corner just because I think you can find receivers,” a fourth scout said. “I haven’t seen a whole lot of guys like him, really. They went out of their way to have him win the Heisman. His overall play speed is good but I don’t expect him to run 4.3. The body type is a little bit of a turn-off. He’s kind of lanky lookin’ but damn, he’s a shutdown corner. Loose, fluid hips, really smart, great feet. He’ll tackle if he has to. He’s a pretty good receiver, too.” Third-year junior with 31 3/8-inch arms and 9 1/8-inch hands. “The best corner I have done in my career is Champ Bailey and he’d be right up against him,” said a fifth scout. “I wouldn’t say he’s better but he’s really good. I had him as a corner at the beginning of the year but then the more I watched him I started getting excited about the receiver. I kind of like him as a receiver. He’s probably the best player at both positions.” Eighth player to be named first-team All-America and Academic All-America. “You watch him pedal and there’s not many that can do that,” said a sixth scout. “He doesn’t really know how to run pass routes yet but it’s special to watch him come in and out of cuts and snatch the ball and make people miss. He makes so many plays because his hand-eye coordination is through the roof. When you think about guys that have played well on both sides of the ball there’s (Charles) Woodson, Deion, Rod Woodson. They’re probably all faster than him but I don’t know if they’re quicker than him or have the same ball skills. And his feet are like machines. It’s tap-tap-tap and he’s gone. Think of one of those small punt returners. He’s like them. No matter how hard you try to hit him, you can’t hit him.” From Suwanee, Ga. Avid fisherman.
2. WILL JOHNSON, Michigan (6-1 ½, 194, no 40, 1): Third-year junior. “As a pure corner I have him over Hunter,” said one scout. “He can play off. He can press. He’s really good in zone. Really good dude. He has average speed, though. Just kind of a smooth mover. Plays his best coming downhill making a play toward the ball. I don’t think he’s a gambler. He’s just really instinctive. Sometimes down the field when his back’s turned I don’t know if he can locate it and track it as fast as you want. But he’s a player. He’s strong enough to be physical.” Returned three of his nine interceptions for touchdowns. “Ball skills are awesome and instincts are incredible,” a second scout said. “He just sees everything, almost to his detriment because he jumps a lot of stuff. Last year, in the Washington (CFP) championship game, they got him. Another game they got him. He’s definitely trying to make a highlight. I question his big-time explosive speed. Not top run-support toughness. Reminds me of (Pat) Surtain.” Started five of 14 games as a freshman but missed 10 games in 2023-’24 with knee (arthroscopic surgery), shoulder and turf toe injuries. “He’s got to prove he can be durable, prove you can fight through adversity from an injury standpoint to really earn my trust,” said a third scout. “I don’t want to accuse the guy of milking an injury but the questions have to be asked. That guy scares the bejesus out of me. Who’s the guy that came out of Virginia Tech about four years ago? (Caleb) Farley? He was injured. Same conversation. It’s a buyer-beware pick.” His father, Deon, was a defensive back at Michigan from 1990-’94. “It’s a shame he got hurt,” said a fourth scout. “I like him. He’s a gambler, though, and he’s going to have to learn when to pick those battles. As many times as he gambles he’ll get his *** beat, too. And when he gets beat when he gambles it’s a big-*** play, and you can’t give those up in the National Football League. He’ll make some big plays but, man, you get beat to the flat, big chunks happen that are game-changers. I don’t want to say he’s a wild-horse rider, but he’s close to it.” Started 22 of 32 games, finishing with 68 tackles and 10 passes defensed. Never forced a fumble or recovered a fumble. “No, no, no, no, no — he’s not Patrick Surtain,” said a fifth scout. “I saw him more of a second-rounder. He’s not the athlete that Christian Gonzalez is but he’s like a lower-level hotel in that chain. There’s a lot good. There’s just not a ton of great.” Short arms (30 1/8) for his height. “Everything you look for in a corner excluding injury he does it at corner,” a sixth scout said. “He can definitely do it but he’s been out a little bit every year. But how many of them haven’t? It’s now becoming one of those deals where after they know they’ve got enough games on tape they start folding up shop.” Either left or missed a game with injuries eight times. Five-star recruit from Grosse Pointe, Mich.
Of course, that doesn’t at all indicate whether Hunter will play offense, defense or both after he’s selected early in the NFL draft.
Six executives in personnel were split on Hunter’s best position. Three said wide receiver, three said cornerback. He is the top-graded player at each spot.
What they were in agreement on is that Hunter wouldn’t be able to log the 150 or so snaps from scrimmage that he did for the Buffaloes at an effective and injury-free level in the NFL.
“There’s absolutely no way he can do them both full-time,” said one executive. “They’ll just wear him out. Each team will look at him differently as far as what they want to do with him.”
As an all-time prospect with corner-wideout versatility, Hunter drew comparisons with three Hall of Fame enshrinees: Deion Sanders, his coach at Colorado in 2023-’24; Charles Woodson, a fellow Heisman Trophy winner, and Champ Bailey.
Sanders returned punts during his four seasons at Florida State but never played offense. He ran track for the Seminoles, qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 100 and 200 meters, and played two seasons of collegiate baseball and one month of minor-league baseball as a center fielder.
At 5-11 ¾ and 182 pounds, Sanders ran the 40 at the combine in 4.29 seconds before being chosen No. 5 in 1989 behind Troy Aikman, Tony Mandarich, Barry Sanders and Derrick Thomas. His two-way work in the NFL included 60 receptions for 784 yards (13.1 average) and three touchdowns.
“I’ve never seen a better defensive back,” Dick Steinberg, New England’s director of player development with two decades of scouting experience, told me before that draft. “The most dominating college defensive back I ever saw before this guy was Willie Buchanon.”
Ron Wolf, then Al Davis’s top scout with the Los Angeles Raiders, called Sanders a “rare player.”
Woodson (6-0 7/8, 200, 4.43), who in 1998 became the first defensive player to win the Heisman, not only returned punts at Michigan but also found time in 1996-’97 to catch 21 passes for 370 (17.6) and three touchdowns. He was drafted No. 4 overall.
“If they were in the draft at the same time I would take this guy,” Charley Armey, the St. Louis Rams’ personnel director, said before the 1999 draft regarding his preference of Woodson over Sanders. “He will be a much better football player all-around, from A to Z.”
After Woodson destroyed Michigan State with two interceptions in 1988, former NFL center and ESPN analyst Bill Curry said, “The last cornerback I can remember making plays like that was Herb Adderley.”
Woodson’s brief exposure on offense in the NFL was limited to two receptions.
Before the 1999 draft, Bailey (5-11 ¾, 184, 4.35) received a final grade of 7.25 from Joel Buchsbaum, the pioneering independent scout for Pro Football Weekly. The year before, Woodson was handed an 8.01.
However, Bailey was so good moonlighting as a wide receiver at Georgia that Buchsbaum gave him a 6.05, which ranked fourth at the position behind Torry Holt, David Boston and Troy Edwards.
“He’s a quicker athlete and more instinctive than Woodson,” Armey said in the runup to the ’99 draft. “He doesn’t have Deion’s speed but he has awful good quickness.”
Bailey, who had a 42-inch vertical jump and a score of 25 on the Wonderlic test, caught 47 passes and rushed 16 times as a senior for the Bulldogs. He was the No. 7 selection.
“Can be a great cornerback or wide receiver,” Buchsbaum wrote before Bailey’s rookie season in Washington. “Might even do both at the same time.”
In his 15-year NFL career, Bailey caught just four passes.
In any event, Hunter is primed to become just the seventh top-5 cornerback since 2011.
“Champ Bailey was super athletic,” a longtime scout said. “Travis is probably a little twitchier in a short area. Charles Woodson was a much bigger man. Hunter’s a really good prospect but just because of his size he’s not quite graded as high as Charles Woodson.”
CORNERBACKS
1. TRAVIS HUNTER, Colorado (6-0 ½, 188, no 40, 1): Hasn’t run a 40 for scouts and probably never will. “Like with Deion (Sanders), I think you could spot him as a wide receiver but put him where he’s going to be an all-pro,” one scout said. “He’s explosive in that 7-, 15-, 20-yard range. You see him making a burst on the ball. He’s not gonna be 4.27, I can guarantee you that. He’s not Deion. But he can man cover. That’s what he can do. Don’t get me wrong, he could play well on offense if he wants. Great hands and ball skills, everything’s there. He won’t be known for his tackling ability. He might be No. 1 over (Abdul) Carter.” In 2024, he won the Biletnikoff Award as the top wide receiver and the Bednarik Award as the top defensive player. “He’s a better receiver than corner,” said a second scout.“As a receiver, he’s quick as ****. I mean, explosive. His hands are rare, rare, rare. I don’t know if I’ve seen someone catch the ball like he does. Doesn’t have a lot of big plays downfield. That’s really the only thing you don’t see, and a lot of that is the way they use him … More of a press guy. When he’s off, you see a little bit of getting turned around and not great change of direction. Might have the best hands ever for a corner. In run support he’s not the toughest but you’ll learn to live with that.” As the nation’s No. 1 recruit in 2022, he surprised many by signing with FCS Jackson State. Played eight games for the HBCU, making two interceptions and catching 18 passes. “We ended up with him on the corner board because we felt there was a million receivers and there’s eight corners,” a third scout said. “He’s sizeable enough even though he’s somewhat narrow. He is just kind of out there playing right now without a lot of technique. If he will really zero in on the technique he can be sensational. He’s willing to tackle. He’s not 6-1, 205. He’s a little more on the slender side.” Played 22 games at Colorado, finishing with 66 tackles, seven interceptions and 16 passes defensed. As a receiver, he caught 153 passes for 1,979 yards (12.9-yard average) and 20 touchdowns. “I’d play him at corner just because I think you can find receivers,” a fourth scout said. “I haven’t seen a whole lot of guys like him, really. They went out of their way to have him win the Heisman. His overall play speed is good but I don’t expect him to run 4.3. The body type is a little bit of a turn-off. He’s kind of lanky lookin’ but damn, he’s a shutdown corner. Loose, fluid hips, really smart, great feet. He’ll tackle if he has to. He’s a pretty good receiver, too.” Third-year junior with 31 3/8-inch arms and 9 1/8-inch hands. “The best corner I have done in my career is Champ Bailey and he’d be right up against him,” said a fifth scout. “I wouldn’t say he’s better but he’s really good. I had him as a corner at the beginning of the year but then the more I watched him I started getting excited about the receiver. I kind of like him as a receiver. He’s probably the best player at both positions.” Eighth player to be named first-team All-America and Academic All-America. “You watch him pedal and there’s not many that can do that,” said a sixth scout. “He doesn’t really know how to run pass routes yet but it’s special to watch him come in and out of cuts and snatch the ball and make people miss. He makes so many plays because his hand-eye coordination is through the roof. When you think about guys that have played well on both sides of the ball there’s (Charles) Woodson, Deion, Rod Woodson. They’re probably all faster than him but I don’t know if they’re quicker than him or have the same ball skills. And his feet are like machines. It’s tap-tap-tap and he’s gone. Think of one of those small punt returners. He’s like them. No matter how hard you try to hit him, you can’t hit him.” From Suwanee, Ga. Avid fisherman.
2. WILL JOHNSON, Michigan (6-1 ½, 194, no 40, 1): Third-year junior. “As a pure corner I have him over Hunter,” said one scout. “He can play off. He can press. He’s really good in zone. Really good dude. He has average speed, though. Just kind of a smooth mover. Plays his best coming downhill making a play toward the ball. I don’t think he’s a gambler. He’s just really instinctive. Sometimes down the field when his back’s turned I don’t know if he can locate it and track it as fast as you want. But he’s a player. He’s strong enough to be physical.” Returned three of his nine interceptions for touchdowns. “Ball skills are awesome and instincts are incredible,” a second scout said. “He just sees everything, almost to his detriment because he jumps a lot of stuff. Last year, in the Washington (CFP) championship game, they got him. Another game they got him. He’s definitely trying to make a highlight. I question his big-time explosive speed. Not top run-support toughness. Reminds me of (Pat) Surtain.” Started five of 14 games as a freshman but missed 10 games in 2023-’24 with knee (arthroscopic surgery), shoulder and turf toe injuries. “He’s got to prove he can be durable, prove you can fight through adversity from an injury standpoint to really earn my trust,” said a third scout. “I don’t want to accuse the guy of milking an injury but the questions have to be asked. That guy scares the bejesus out of me. Who’s the guy that came out of Virginia Tech about four years ago? (Caleb) Farley? He was injured. Same conversation. It’s a buyer-beware pick.” His father, Deon, was a defensive back at Michigan from 1990-’94. “It’s a shame he got hurt,” said a fourth scout. “I like him. He’s a gambler, though, and he’s going to have to learn when to pick those battles. As many times as he gambles he’ll get his *** beat, too. And when he gets beat when he gambles it’s a big-*** play, and you can’t give those up in the National Football League. He’ll make some big plays but, man, you get beat to the flat, big chunks happen that are game-changers. I don’t want to say he’s a wild-horse rider, but he’s close to it.” Started 22 of 32 games, finishing with 68 tackles and 10 passes defensed. Never forced a fumble or recovered a fumble. “No, no, no, no, no — he’s not Patrick Surtain,” said a fifth scout. “I saw him more of a second-rounder. He’s not the athlete that Christian Gonzalez is but he’s like a lower-level hotel in that chain. There’s a lot good. There’s just not a ton of great.” Short arms (30 1/8) for his height. “Everything you look for in a corner excluding injury he does it at corner,” a sixth scout said. “He can definitely do it but he’s been out a little bit every year. But how many of them haven’t? It’s now becoming one of those deals where after they know they’ve got enough games on tape they start folding up shop.” Either left or missed a game with injuries eight times. Five-star recruit from Grosse Pointe, Mich.
