The Las Vegas Raiders struck out on drafting a quarterback this year and should be heavily linked to the top prospects at the position next year. However, it remains to be seen if any worthwhile prospects will emerge so the team could focus on adding whoever the best player available is when they pick next year.
The most interesting non-quarterback who should be in the 2025 draft class is Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter. If he keeps building off his 2023 season, he should be a top-10 pick next year. Bleacher Report is projecting that the Raiders will select him with the No. 5 pick next year.
“The ‘D’ on Travis Hunter’s chest above says it all,” the Bleacher Report NFL Scouting Department wrote in an April 29 mock draft. “He’s a special playmaker who logged three interceptions and five passes defended in nine games last season to earn the distinction from Colorado head coach Deion Sanders.
“It remains to be seen if Hunter can follow in his coach’s footsteps and continue being a two-way player at the next level, but that’s a bonus for Las Vegas with this top-five pick. Also, the organization is no stranger to taking a cornerback who can also line up at wide receiver after using the fourth overall selection on Charles Woodson in 1998.”
The Raiders have a need at cornerback so Hunter would be a logical player to target but it’s possible he might prefer playing wide receiver at the NFL level.
Will Travis Hunter Play Both Ways in NFL?
There have been plenty of players in the NFL to play a bit on offense and defense but it’s rare to see a player that plays both ways full-time. In just nine games last season, Hunter had three interceptions and 721 receiving yards. He could be an All-Pro player at either wide receiver or cornerback but according to NFL cornerback Patrick Peterson, no team is going to let him play both positions.
“No NFL team will allow Travis to play both ways, not full-time at least,” Peterson said on the March 14 episode of the “All Facts No Brakes” podcast. “I think if they do give him an opportunity, he’ll be more like Deion Sanders. Like a pitch count. [A team] will give him maybe 8-10 plays a game.”
Hunter already had a brutal lacerated liver injury last season and the more snaps he plays in the NFL, the more likely he is to suffer more injuries.
Here are some of the best plays from #Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter from last season
Travis Hunter is my favorite player that I have ever scouted. There is nothing cooler in all of sports than a player playing both sides of the ball.
What Position Will Travis Hunter Want to Play Full-Time?
Here are some of the best plays from #Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter from last season
— Dustin Mosher (@Dustin_Mosher) May 13, 2024
Travis Hunter is my favorite player that I have ever scouted. There is nothing cooler in all of sports than a player playing both sides of the ball. pic.twitter.com/LQr7vT5qsl
Having Hunter only play one position full-time seems like a waste of his unique skill set. If Hunter wants to make the most money possible, wide receiver might be the better position for him to focus on. The highest-paid cornerback in the NFL makes $21 million a year while the highest-paid wide receiver makes $32 million a year.
That said, it would likely be easier for Hunter to play full-time at cornerback and take limited snaps at wide receiver if he’s really committed to playing both ways. He’s a unique player and that could factor into any potential future contracts. He’s good enough to where a team will take him early and try to figure out what to do with him later.
