Cowboys icon makes eye-opening Shohei Ohtani demand for Travis Hunter's 2-way potential in NFL
Shohei Ohtani is all anyone can talk about these days, despite Juan Soto eclipsing his stratospheric deal with a mammoth $765 million contract. Ohtani's two-way skill set means he will be in the running for the league's most valuable player for years to come. When it comes to the NFL, few players have gone the Ohtani way, but one man who could buck that trend is Colorado's Travis Hunter.
Hunter is widely projected to be a top-3 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft in April, but the question remains what his position will be when he's drafted to the league. Hunter has made a name for himself playing cornerback and wide receiver, taking home the Heisman this past weekend by beating Boise State's Ashton Jeanty to the crown.
Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin had some advice for the soon-to-be NFL star, urging him to lay down the law once he's made it to the NFL.
"If I’m Travis Hunter, all jokes aside, I’m putting it out right now. If you’re not letting me play both ways, don’t draft me. I fully intend on playing both ways in the National Football League," Irvin said on FS1's Speak.
Fox Sports insider Jay Glazer took a poll of 13 NFL GMs who said they would want Hunter strictly at cornerback. Responding to that report, Irvin added:
"These guys [13 GMs] think they know more about this kid who they never met. You just watched him on film. You already made up your mind that he’s going to play on one side. And you gave him the side.
"I’m not letting them dictate my story. I’m telling you no, I’m playing both ways. Years from now y’all will Shohei Ohtani my money to me. I’m going to play both sides. I’m playing receiver and DB."
NFL Draft expert projects ideal Travis Hunter landing spot in 2025 NFL Mock Draft
In his last mock draft published at the end of November, Tony Pauline had Hunter landing with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who, at the time, had the worst record in the league.
The Jags are in dire need of cornerbacks and playmakers. Hunter would solve both those problems in one swoop, though the roster would still need some more work.
Since then, the Raiders have leapfrogged the rest of the wooden spooners and currently have the best shot at landing the No. 1 overall pick after a Monday Night Football loss to the Atlanta Falcons. However, the Raiders will likely focus on Hunter's teammate Shedeur Sanders since they have a dire need at quarterback.
The Giants, at No. 2, are also in desperate need of a quarterback, a situation that could see them pick Miami's Cam Ward at that spot. That leaves the Patriots and the Panthers as likely destinations for Hunter alongside the Jaguars.