NFL Power Rankings: The best Travis Hunter landing spots after NFL Draft declaration

Despite dropping to 8-3 on the year with a tough loss to Kansas, the Colorado Buffaloes are still alive to make it to the Big 12 Championship Game, and therefore still alive for the College Football Playoff. They need to beat Oklahoma State next week and see Kansas State beat Iowa State in Farmageddon to potentially make it to Arlington. Sadly, we may get one more game of Travis Hunter with Colorado...

Hunter is the frontrunner to win the 2024 Heisman Trophy. While other players such as Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, Miami quarterback Cam Ward and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel are still vying for it, the Heisman feels like Hunter's to lose. He is a special player, one that can make plays in the receiving game, as well as in the defensive backfield. To me, he plays defense in the NFL.

So what I want to do today is outline a handful of NFL teams that I think not only could be in position to select Hunter inside of the top five of the 2025 NFL Draft, but could actually take him. We know that Deion Sanders has said before that his sons and Hunter will only be allowed to play for certain teams. Well, beggars can't be choosers. The NFL is bigger than college football, so just deal with it.

Here are the five teams I envision being in the best position to potentially end up drafting Hunter.

5. New York Jets

Look. I would not wish going to the New York Jets on my worst enemy. However, the forever flightless group we call Gang Green is going nowhere fast and needs another new spark. Ownership is in question. Aaron Rodgers does not want to play for them anymore. They still need to hire a full-time head coach for next season. I would do the most logical thing and draft Hunter if he falls to the Jets.

My thought is New York will hire another defensive-minded head coach to replace Robert Saleh. It could be Mike Vrabel. It could be Aaron Glenn. It could even be Jeff Ulbrich getting the interim tag removed it does not matter. All I know is any time the Jets have been good in my life they have won with defense. Having a tandem of Hunter and Sauce Gardner at cornerback would be utterly amazing.

There may be quarterbacks to be had in the draft, but I would load up on defense this NFL offseason.

4. Cleveland Browns

If not for the quarterback and ownership situation, I would say the Cleveland Browns are not a bad place to be. They have a talented roster, a great head coach and a strong front office. With team leaders like Nick Chubb and Myles Garrett on the roster, it is an ideal place for a rookie phenom like Travis Hunter to link up with. Kevin Stefanski or not, I would be okay with Hunter going to Cleveland.

While I may not go as far as to say the Browns are primed for a bounce-back season in 2025, I do not expect for them to be near the bottom of the AFC for the foreseeable future. The roster is too well-constructed outside of the quarterback position. My thought is if Hunter is available and there is not a quarterback Andrew Berry likes, I would go with the more sure thing in the Colorado two-way player.

I feel Hunter is the only non-quarterback the Browns can take and the fan base would be cool with.

3. New York Giants

The New York Giants are the team to watch this offseason. Daniel Jones is out, and I fully expect that head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen will be out as well. The Giants need to draft a quarterback, but again, this is not looking like the best year to take one. It really comes down to who will be in the war room come draft day. I have a feeling a Colorado star might go to New York.

While most people have tabbed Colorado quarterback Sheduer Sanders to the G-Men, I would be hard-pressed to pass on Hunter for his college teammate if he is still on the board. Drafting Hunter would be like New York getting a star from yesteryear. Whether that be Odell Beckham Jr. or Saquon Barkley, I will leave it up to the imagination. Regardless, New York needs talent and Hunter has plenty.

It is going to come down entirely who ends up making the decisions in the war room for the Giants.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars feel the betting favorite to land Hunter in the 2025 NFL Draft. For as dysfunctional as the franchise may be, I don't think they are in the worst spot of teams potentially moving on from their head coach this offseason. Trevor Lawrence is still under contract and this team still has talent on both sides of the ball. It will come down to who the next regime is, but I kind of like it.

My thought is putting Hunter on the same defense that features Josh Allen and Travon Walker could be mighty enticing. When Jacksonville is at its best, the Jaguars play great complementary football, but one that is propped up by its defense. Since Hunter can technically play both ways, I think of all the teams he could potentially go to that Jacksonville might afford him the best chance to do both.

Jacksonville may be the team to beat for Hunter's services, but I feel there is one better landing spot.

1. New England Patriots

Of course, we have arrived at the New England Patriots. This is a team that has devolved back into being deplorably bad in a post-Bill Belichick/Tom Brady world. While I wonder if Jerod Mayo is ever going to be the head coach Robert Kraft thinks he can be, he does favor the defensive side of the ball. New England has been competent on defense this season, which should be viewed as progress.

The biggest reason why I like the Patriots more than I do the other teams is quarterbacking certainty. While I think Trevor Lawrence could still be good one day, Drake Maye is only in his rookie season. It has not been the easiest year for him, but there is a chance he could end up being the best quarterback in his draft class. For that reason, I am bullish on the Patriots in the extreme long-term.

The Patriots will surely have a top-eight pick and will absolutely not be drafting a quarterback either.