In the ongoing debate of whether Travis Hunter can or should play both ways in the NFL, the New York Giants have thrown their hat in the ring.
They believe he can. And they wouldn’t be “afraid” to deploy him on both sides of the ball.
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That’s according to general manager Joe Schoen, who addressed the status of the two-way star during a news conference Wednesday, eight days before the first round of the NFL Draft.
“We’re in a unique position that we have three good receivers, and we like our secondary right now,” Schoen told reporters. “So our situation will be unique. I would not be afraid to play him on both sides of the ball.”
Schoen’s stance is relevant, as the Giants have the No. 3 pick in next week’s draft. The Tennessee Titans are widely expected to select Miami quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 pick. That scenario would leave the consensus top two players in the draft — Hunter and Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter — to fall to picks Nos. 2 and 3. The Giants could very well have the opportunity to select Hunter at No. 3.
Will Travis Hunter play both ways in the NFL? (Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)
(Andrew Wevers via Getty Images)
Hunter is a unique football talent who played the majority of snaps on both sides of the ball during his 2024 Heisman Trophy campaign at Colorado. He’s rated by most as the best wide receiver and the best cornerback in this year’s draft, with All-Pro upside at both positions.
Should Hunter play both ways?
Playing two ways in college is one thing, though it’s still wild. Doing it in the NFL in 2025 isn’t realistic, right? The violence of the game takes a significant physical and mental toll on players, no matter their position.
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Double-dipping on those physical challenges sounds like a formula for a shorter career with a higher risk of significant injury. Despite that, Hunter wants to play both ways in the NFL. And if it’s appealing to him, there’s good reason to believe it will be appealing to the team that drafts him.
At that point, it’s about strategically deploying Hunter. There’s no way he’d play full-time at both positions. Instead, it would likely become a matter of designating his primary position and picking strategic spots to use him on the other side of the ball.
The best comparison case might be Hunter’s college coach, Deion Sanders. Sanders is a Hall of Fame cornerback who also caught 60 career passes for 784 yards and three touchdowns while playing wide receiver. He spent most of his time on offense with the Dallas Cowboys in 1996, when he tallied 36 catches for 475 yards. That could be the blueprint for optimizing Hunter as a two-way player.
Whichever team drafts him will face a difficult choice. But it will also be an enviable one.
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