In two weeks, the 2025 NFL Combine will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Three hundred and twenty-nine players were invited to attend.
Ahead of the combine starting on Thursday, February 27, each player had to declare a posistion. Colorado’s Travis Hunter excelled at CB and WR in 2024 but he had to pick one for the combine. It was announced that Hunter is being considered a defensive back.
Will Travis Hunter get the chance to play WR in the NFL?
Here is the full list of players invited to the NFL Scouting Combine… with one notable tidbit — Travis Hunter is listed as a defensive back https://t.co/km8IDieTw2https://t.co/km8IDieTw2
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 13, 2025
Travis Hunter’s 2024 season is one that no player before him has ever done. He played 713 offensive snaps and 748 defensive snaps for Colorado. Head coach Deion Sanders let Hunter play both ways. Chances are most NFL teams will be hesitant to let Hunter do the same. Hunter had 96 catches for 1,258 yards and 15 receiving touchdowns. Defensively, the 21-year-old had 36 combined tackles, 11 passes defended, and four interceptions.
That was enough for Travis Hunter to win the Heisman Trophy in 2024. Additionally, he won the Chuck Bednarik Award for Defensive Player of the Year and the Biletnikoff Award for the nation’s top WR. Hunter picking CB for the 2025 combine is telling. Playing cornerback is the most natural position for Hunter. He had the luxury of playing WR in college. That might not be the case in the pros.
It’s hard enough to succeed in the NFL in one position. Playing both ways does not happen in today’s game. Only 1.6% of collegiate players make it to the NFL. If Hunter wants to be a legendary NFL player, he’ll start his career at CB. Once he’s established, then he can start getting reps at WR if the team lets him. Several teams at the top of the NFL draft need a QB. It will be interesting to see where Hunter gets picked in April.
