The Cleveland Browns shipped away their previous three first-round picks to the Houston Texans in a trade for Deshaun Watson. After three long years, Cleveland is poised to make their first selection in the first round since 2021.
The Browns currently hold the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Tennessee Titans are expected to select Miami quarterback Cam Ward with the first overall pick, which leaves the Browns with a slew of options at No. 2.
Unlike last year, when six quarterbacks were drafted in the top 12, this year’s quarterback class is notably thin. Only Ward and Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders are widely considered to be first-round prospects. If the Browns aren’t enamored with Sanders, they could opt to select his teammate: Colorado’s two-way star Travis Hunter.
Browns shouldn’t be scared away from Travis Hunter’s warning
Hunter is considered to be a generational talent and the best overall prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. The 21-year-old thrived as both a wide receiver and cornerback under Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, and he’s been adamant about continuing to play both sides of the ball at the professional level. In fact, Hunter told CBS Sports that he would rather not play football at all if a team told him he could only play one side of the ball.
"It's never playing football again," Hunter said. "Because I've been doing it my whole life, and I love being on the football field. I feel like I could dominate on each side of the ball, so I really enjoy doing it.”
There’s little doubt that Hunter’s skillset will translate to the professional level, but there are skeptics who believe he will not be able to play on both sides of the ball in the NFL. Some teams may view him as a cornerback who can play wide receiver in situational offensive packages, while others may view him primarily as a wide receiver. Regardless, Hunter’s warning shouldn’t scare Cleveland away.
Finding a fit and utilizing Hunter properly could prove to be detrimental if handled poorly, but he could also become a once-in-a-lifetime player who can dominant on both ends. In 2024, Hunter won the Biletnikoff award for being the best wide receiver, the Bednarik award for being the best defensive player and the Heisman Trophy for being the best overall player in college football.
“It's up to [the Browns] to want me to be on their team and the organization to believe that they can let me do exactly what I want to do, and that's play both sides of the ball and be the same Travis that I was in college and better," Hunter said of being drafting by Cleveland. "I don't believe in wishing to be the second overall pick. If it was up to me, I'll be the first overall pick. I'm blessed to be the best player in this, one of the best players in this draft, in this class, so I'm blessed to be where I'm at.”
Hunter played 713 offensive snaps and 748 defensive snaps in his final collegiate season. While his stamina and durability have been astounding, NFL teams may not want to expose him to risk or spread him out too thin as a rookie. Hunter will need his snap count maintained — especially early in his career — to make sure he’s mastering one primary position, but he should be able to find a way on the field in certain packages on both sides of the ball. Plenty of defensive players in the NFL have played in offensive packages, including J.J. Watt and Mike Vrabel.