Why New York Giants Should Draft Colorado Buffaloes' Travis Hunter No. 3 In NFL Draft

The Colorado Buffaloes' two-way star Travis Hunter had one of the most special seasons of all time that culminated in a Heisman Trophy Award and multiple honors and achievements at the end of the season.

For Hunter, he turns his attention now to the 2025 NFL Draft and is aiming to become the Buffaloes' first top-five pick since Michael Westbrook was selected No. 4 back in the 1995 NFL Draft. All five teams inside the top five have a need for Hunters' position, one way or the other.

Dec 14, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter poses for a photo after winning the Heisman Trophy award during the 2024 Heisman Trophy Presentation. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Boland-Imagn Images | Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

With quarterbacks being valued so much in today's NFL, it would not come as a surprise to see the consensus top two quarterbacks in the draft be selected with the first and second overall picks.

The Tennessee Titans, who hold the No. 1 pick, could select a quarterback with the Will Levis experiment crashing and burning. There is also a chance that the Titans could elect to move back and trade out of the first selection of the night.

The No. 2 pick, held by the Cleveland Browns, is also in the mix to potentially move out of their original spot and trade back in the draft. The Browns are one of the most intriguing options, especially in terms of what they are going to do at quarterback with Deshaun Watson sustaining another long-term injury.

Making the No. 3 overall pick is slated to be the New York Giants. Although the Giants have a glaring need at quarterback, there's a very real chance their top two options will be off the board by the time the No. 3 pick comes around.

Hunter slots in perfectly with the Giants for a couple of reasons, but the most obvious being he fills a major position of need at either wide receiver or defensive back. It's still unknown what Hunter will end up doing at the professional level, but regardless he will make an impact. Hunter would like to play both positions.

If Hunter is taken by New York, he would become an instant weapon for whoever ends up behind center for the Giants or a true lockdown corner in the secondary. Hunter could wind up pairing with Malik Nabers to become one of the best young pass-catching duos in the NFL.

Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffalos quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) with wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Lance Zierlein of the NFL.com wrote that Hunter's draft profile is highlighted by his athleticism, which is second to none in this draft class.

"Exciting two-way player whose world-class athleticism and ball skills help him shine on both sides of the ball. Hunter is an instinctive, natural football player with a feel for making the biggest plays at the biggest times. Teams will need to make a decision on where and how to play Hunter, but he’s capable of making a good number of winning plays as a future star no matter the choice," Zierlein said.

The 2024-25 Colorado Buffaloes could end up having two players from their team drafted inside the top-10 picks of the 2025 NFL Draft with Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders expected to be taken in the first round of the draft.

It would be a major step forward for the Colorado program to have two first round selections in the draft since 2011 when Nate Solder and Jimmy Smith were taken in the first round.

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