Travis Hunter keeps teams guessing at Colorado’s NFL showcase, says insider
The mystery surrounding Travis Hunter's participation in Colorado's NFL showcase has teams waiting for answers, according to a recent report.
Mary Kay Cabot tweeted on Friday about the uncertainty surrounding Hunter's workout plans.
"As for whether or not WR/CB Travis Hunter will work out today at Colorado's #NFL showcase, I'm told 'nobody knows until he walks out there.' #Browns in Boulder for private dinner with Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, and to attend the showcase," Cabot wrote.
The Cleveland Browns showed their interest by scheduling a private dinner with Hunter and Shedeur Sanders before the showcase. The meeting comes as the Browns have the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming draft.
USA Today identified the Patriots (No. 4 pick), Giants (No. 3 pick) and Titans (No. 1 pick) as other potential landing spots for Hunter.
New England added cornerback Carlton Davis to pair with Christian Gonzalez this offseason. It could potentially allow Hunter to serve as its slot corner while also holding a starting receiver position.
NFL GM gives his take on handling Travis Hunter's dual-threat capabilities
Former Tennessee Titans general manager Ran Carthon believes Travis Hunter should begin his NFL career as a cornerback. His assessment came during an appearance on CBS Sports' "With the First Pick" podcast.
"I think he's plug-and-play Day 1, he's your starting corner," Carthon said on March 25. "His unique trait, his superpower, is ball skills, being able to attack the ball."
Carthon also recommended a specific development path for Hunter at the professional level.
"(If) I were calling it, it's defense first, it's punt return to allow him to have the ball in his hands, and then (you) allow him to earn packages on offense," Carthon said.
The difficulty of mastering multiple positions against NFL competition factored into Carthon's thinking.
"It's hard enough to master one position in this league, let alone have to master two," Cathon said. "You're going against grown men (with) tricks of the trade."
NFL teams remain split on Hunter's best position. Some organizations "see him strictly as a receiver," according to Carthon. He described Hunter as "the biggest enigma this league has ever seen," comparing him to Hall of Fame defensive backs Champ Bailey and Charles Woodson.
Browns general manager Andrew Barry revealed at the NFL Combine that Cleveland views Hunter as a "receiver primarily first." This aligns with their need for receiver talent after trading Amari Cooper midseason.