"Has to work at playing corner": Former Jets scout gives a reality check to Travis Hunter as he gears up for NFL
Colorado's Travis Hunter is regarded as one of the most talented players in April's NFL draft. The now-former Buffaloes two-way star won the Heisman Trophy last season and brought home a few other prestigious awards. But, former New York Jets scout Daniel Kelly isn't sold on Hunter's talents on the defensive side of the football.
Kelly took to X/Twitter on Thursday to express his worry about Hunter guarding some of the NFL's best receivers.
"Travis Hunter is GENERATIONAL as a receiver," Kelly wrote. "But he has to work at playing corner. Per PFF: 56.1% catch rate allowed in 2024. 56.6% catch rate allowed in 2023. He's giving up the catch over half the time, against that soft Colorado schedule."
This isn't the first instance of Kelly casting doubt on Travis Hunter as a defensive back. He did so a week earlier, wondering why Hunter is working out as a defensive back at the scouting combine rather than on the opposite side.
"Heard the news — Travis Hunter is going to the NFL Scouting Combine as a CB and not as a WR. BIG MISTAKE," Kelly said last week on X/Twitter. "1st Round WR. 2nd Round CB. As a former NFL Scout, I know. I've studied every snap of his on offense and defense the past 2 seasons."
What decision should Travis Hunter make in the NFL?
On "Radio Row" in New Orleans before the Super Bowl, Travis Hunter explained why choosing one position is so difficult for him.
"Bro, I can't tell you because, like, when I score touchdowns, I get to celebrate," Hunter said on Cam Newton's '4th&1 with Cam Newton' podcast. "It's just that type of, 'Oh, I just messed them up, uh. Now I get in the end zone, now everybody looking like, 'Dang, look at the replay! He going crazy!' And then, on the defensive side of the ball, I can lock them up, catch the pick, but sometimes you don't get to the end zone.
"I wanna be in that endzone having a party. With that interception, I still get to have a party because that flips you the game. ... There's a lot of excitement, but there's nothing better than getting a pick-six, bro," he added.
Still, ESPN's Field Yates sees Hunter being the first player taken off the board:
"The Titans have made it clear they won't force the quarterback issue at No. 1 if they don't deem one of the passers worthy of the pick," Yates wrote earlier this month via ESPN.com. "While there is little precedent for a prospect playing both sides of the ball in the NFL, Hunter has a rare skill set. Scouts have noted his determination and focus."
If Hunter doesn't wind up in Nashville, it's hard to imagine he slides much further, as Cleveland and the New York Giants could be interested too.