New York Giants Draft Prospect: WR/CB Travis Hunter, Colorado

Travis Hunter is a generational talent who can offer production on both sides of the ball.

Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Colorado defensive back Travis Hunter (DB15) during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. / Tanner Pearson-Imagn Images

Colorado two-way start Travis Hunter reportedly projects as a full-time cornerback as far as the New York Giants are concerned. But it's also possible/likely he'll get a small package of plays on offense.

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dark. MORE. They Might Be Giants: 2025 Draft Prospect Scouting Reports. They Might Be Giants: 2025 Draft Prospect Scouting Reports

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Travis Hunter, CB/WR

• Height: 6’0” 
• Weight: 188 lbs
• Class: Junior
• School: Colorado
• Hand size: 9 ⅛”
• Arm length: 31 ⅜”
• STATS

The number one overall recruit in the 2022 recruiting class out of Suwanee, Georgia, where he attended Collins Hill High School.

He initially took his five-star talents to Jackson State to play under Deion Sanders. He followed Sanders to Colorado after one season at Jackson State; Hunter was the number one player in the transfer portal and showcased his truly unique dual-threat talents as a cornerback and a wide receiver.  

Hunter's award cabinet is quite full of accolades, which include the Heisman Trophy, the Walter Camp Award, the AP College Football Player of the Year, the Sporting News College Football Player of the Year, the Biletnikoff Award, the Chuck Bednarik Award, and the Lott Trophy.

Those last three awards are for the best wide receiver, top defensive player, and the player who excels in the combination of personal character and athletic ability. Quite impressive!

He was a unanimous All-American in 2023 and a consensus one in 2024 while earning the Paul Hornung Award in both seasons (awards versatility). It’s difficult to overstate the impact Hunter had on the Colorado program. 

As a wide receiver, Hunter averaged an insane 78.7% catch rate with an average of 12.7 yards per reception and an aDOT of 11.2 yards. Hunter played 94.4% of his snaps out wide in 2024, but he had a 71.1% wide snap rate through his three seasons in college; he mostly played in the slot during his freshman year at Jackson State.

Hunter averaged a hearty 2.42 yards per route run through his three seasons with an impressive 63.3% contested catch rate. He only dropped four passes on 216 targets (170 catches) through his three seasons.

As a cornerback, Hunter missed just nine tackles through three seasons (9.6% rate). His 52.7% catch rate allowed is a testament to his overall coverage skills, and his technique improved dramatically in 2024. He played both on the left and right side while playing some snaps in the slot, especially in the Texas Tech (2024) game. 

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Strengths

• Solid height with a lean frame that could add weight 
• Rare – ELITE – athlete with exceptional balance and control
• Rare change of direction ability and elite fluidity 
• Rare twitch and springy nature 
• One of the more sudden athletes to play football in college 
• Elite speed and acceleration – has multiple gears and routinely ruins the angles of defenders 
• Is a home-run threat on every play
• Elite explosiveness and sensational tempo management 
• Exceptional foot speed + solid release package
• Quick stacking threat who can ruin a defender’s day in less than a second 
• Uses hands and feet well to release and create immediate separation at the LOS
• Excellent micromovements up his stem, followed by deception and elite – smooth – breaks
• Creates extra separation at the break with elite deceptive movements that he employs well 
• Easily breaks off routes and can instantaneously orient to quarterback on curls/comebacks
• Very good route runner with ELITE route running potential
• Understands how to attack/manipulate and run away (when necessary) from defensive leverage/positioning 
• Quickly eats into the leverage of off-man coverage – forces DBs onto their heel / inspires fear 
• Sensational hand-eye coordination allows him to maximize his already impressive reaction skills
• Attacks the football – ALPHA mentality
• Elite soft hands with an excellent ability to extend away from his frame and locate the ball
• Rare body adjustment and leaping ability to high point 
• Unreal concentration and tracking ability 
• Excels in Jump ball situations 
• Acrobatic Catch Trait  
• Found ways to defeat bracket coverage in college
• Rare YAC skills – very tough to track down in space
• Rare short-area quickness and body control – along with processing – make him an excellent MEG man coverage cornerback
• Excellent overall man coverage skills – stays in the hip / tough to create separation against
• Spatially aware zone coverage defender with elite click & close ability downhill 
• Very good overall zone cornerback
• Can execute any leverage/coverage assignment 
• Has upside to be a shutdown No. 1 CB
• Good feet and jam at the LOS
• Exercises excellent space and understands leverage/depth as CB
• Would bait QBs in coverage to throw downfield – KNOWs his strengths 
• High level CB and WR instincts 
• Good technique as a CB in coverage – improved in 2024
• Strong challenges at the catch point – is a hawk for the football 
• Willing tackler who does a solid overall job
• Not the biggest CB but did have reps where he displayed good play strength to physically harass opposing WRs
• Rare conditioning and stamina 
• Elite processing and feel for the game on both sides of the football
• Elite competitive toughness and is reportedly an EXCELLENT young man 
• Unreal effort on plays (see UCF TD)

Travis Hunter highlights timeline cleanse

pic.twitter.com/NoXQQhFbfk

— Nikki Edwards (@nikkiedwardsss) March 16, 2025

Weaknesses

• Slightly undersized with a thin frame
• Play strength against bigger – stronger – receivers in the NFL is fair to question
• Solid release package BUT did have reps where he was eliminated by press
• Not a bad blocker – he tries hard but it’s still a work in progress
• Tackling is not a “weakness” but he lacks difference-making POP on contact
• Shedding blocks vs. TEs – when he can’t dip/go around – isn’t elite 
• Has missed games in each of his three collegiate seasons – workload issue?
• Not a “weakness” but coaching staff will have to figure out how to employ his immense talent best – again, what a “problem” to have!

Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) celebrates his first down reception in the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Summary

Travis Hunter is a rare, smooth athlete who may be the best corner and wide receiver in this draft class. Few players have Hunter’s level of athleticism. 

The Heisman Trophy winner is elite at creating separation through deceptive route running, including, but not limited to, lethal micromovements throughout his stem that lead to cornerback consternation.

He also creates separation with his rare acceleration, change of direction, agility, and home-run ability – Hunter possesses multiple gears and understands how to tempo his pace well to manipulate defenders and maximize space. He is a VERY smart player. 

Hunter possesses the acrobatic catch trait and routinely showcases his effortless nature to succeed in contested catch situations. He tracks, locates, attacks, and secures tough passes better than most players I’ve watched in college football. 

Hunter is a dangerous YAC player with sudden movements that consistently make defenders miss – had 24 missed tackles forced in 2024 (tied for 6th most of all WRs). 

Hunter is a threat at each level of the field, he understands how to run routes (still growth areas which are INSANELY high), and he has reliable hands. 

Hunter’s ceiling as a wide receiver is very high and that doesn’t even touch what he can offer on defense.

His man coverage skills are elite; he’s sticky in coverage with solid press ability and elite fluidity. Hunter understands defensive leverage and space while possessing the necessary ability to know where/when his teammates will be in a specific spot while executing zone assignments. Inside/outside, off/press–it doesn’t matter. 

Hunter excels in man coverage. He is a very good zone defender as well. While his strength isn’t elite, it’s not a liability and he is a willing tackler who doesn’t miss many opportunities to tackle. He’s not an enforcer on defense and bigger wide receivers could give him issues when they’re blocking him. 

Hunter is the most decorated player in a season throughout the history of college football for good reason. The term unicorn or unique is used too frequently in today’s draft discourse, but Hunter certainly fits both descriptions. He’s a rare talent and reportedly a rare individual off the field. 

His coaching staff will have to figure out how to best employ his skills while being cognizant of his workload. It will be team-dependent, but a full-time corner with a few offensive packages (third down / red zone) makes sense.

 He can immediately and significantly impact both sides of the football for a team, which is basically unforeseen in recent football memory. The sky is his only limit. 

GRADE: 7.85

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Nick Falato's Draft Grade Chart / Nick Falato

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