"$45 million worth of positional value" - Danny Parkins makes case for Travis Hunter to get drafted before Cam Ward
The Tennessee Titans hold the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and are expected to use it to select former Miami Hurricanes star Cam Ward. With the Will Levis experiment not panning out as they had hoped, the team is reportedly not overthinking the situation and will address its quarterback conundrum.
However, Fox Sports analyst Danny Parkins believes the team should consider drafting reigning Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter — if they believe he can play both receiver and cornerback as he did in college. On FS1’s "Breakfast Ball," Parkins argued:
“If (Travis Hunter) can be a starting slot receiver and a starting outside cornerback, that's like $45 million worth of positional value. If he can do both of those things, the Titans should consider taking him with the first pick in the draft."
However, Parkins conceded that, as valuable as Hunter’s ability to play two positions may be, he still wouldn’t be as impactful as an elite quarterback — which the Titans seemingly believe Ward can become:
"Now, obviously, a starting quarterback is more valuable than that. So, if they are sold on Cam Ward, which it sounds like they are, they'll take him."
Danny Parkins on whether the Browns will draft Travis Hunter
With Cam Ward presumably locked in as the top pick, Travis Hunter is expected to go head-to-head with former Penn State Nittany Lions star Abdul Carter for the distinction of being the second player selected on Day 1 of the 2025 NFL draft.
Parkins believes that if the Cleveland Browns — who hold the second pick — draft Hunter, it would be a clear indication they plan to use him as both a slot receiver and a cornerback. He said:
"If Travis Hunter is just a corner or a receiver, you would take Abdul Carter second overall because I think he's more of a sure-thing prospect."
"The thing with Hunter is the versatility. It's the upside. It's the, 'I don't know if he is Deion Sanders or Shohei Ohtani or some like 99.9 percentile freak of nature athlete.' So, my guess is whenever he gets drafted, whether it's by the Browns or the Giants, they will say some version of, ‘We're not going to put a cap on this kid.’”
Cleveland is reportedly leaning toward picking Hunter with the No. 2 pick.