- NCAA. Travis Hunter, facing career-defining decision before the Draft: his mother asks for divine help
- NCAA. Shedeur Sanders drives Browns fans wild with a surprise gesture that could make them forget Myles Garrett
Travis Hunter, the Heisman Trophy-winning two-way star from Colorado, has done what few players in history have accomplished.
Excelling as both a wide receiver and a cornerback, Hunter's dominance on both sides of the ball seemed to make him a lock for a top draft pick. But when the latest 2025 NFL mock drafts failed to place him within the top five, longtime analyst Rich Eisen was having none of it.
Is Travis Hunter's NFL Draft stock falling?
On The Rich Eisen Show, the veteran broadcaster erupted in disbelief over Hunter's omission from the top of the draft board.
"How the hell is he not the number one overall draft choice, right?" Eisen fumed.
"If the Tennessee Titans think we are talking to him, we have gone through the sports science of it; our medical shows he's completely clean, and by that, I mean there are no bumps, there are no bruises... There's no broken bone when you were eight that we could see on our X-rays."
Eisen didn't stop there.
He continued his fiery rant, emphasizing how Hunter's impact on both offense and defense should make him the obvious first pick.
"When you're taking on the Chiefs, he wipes out their best receiver, and then you take on the rest of the league, and he's your best offensive weapon. How is he not number one overall?"
Despite Eisen's frustration, the debate over Hunter'sNFL future continues to divide fans and analysts alike.
While his numbers: 96 receptions, 1,258 yards, and 15 touchdowns as a receiver, along with 35 tackles and 11 es defended as a cornerback, are undeniably impressive, questions remain about whether he can maintain that level of production at the next level.
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders has made his stance clear: Hunter should be allowed to continue his two-way dominance.
"Don't draft him if you're not going to give him an opportunity to play both sides of the ball,"Sanders warned.
"Because he's going to be probably your best receiver, and you're going to look like an idiot with your best receiver sitting on the bench. Or vice versa."
On the other side of the debate, NFL Draft expert Todd McShay believes Hunter should focus on one position, likely wide receiver.
"Where are we going to play him? That's the big question," McShay noted.
"I actually think he's a better wide receiver right now."
While history has seen rare two-way players like Sanders and Troy Brown, the NFL remains skeptical about investing in a player who may require load management to sustain success at both positions.
As for Hunter himself, he remains confident in his ability to defy the odds.
"I want to play both... A lot of people told me I wasn't gonna do it at the college level. I ended up doing it. I know there's a lot of people telling me I can't do the NFL,"Hunter said.
With the draft approaching, the question remains: Will an NFL team take the gamble on Hunter's unique skill set, or will history repeat itself, forcing another two-way talent into a single role?