A consensus does not exist amongst the teams at the top of the draft order with respect to how Travis Hunter should be used in the NFL. Many see the Heisman winner primarily as a cornerback, though, and the Giants seem to agree on that point. 
Hunter is considered a “defense-first prospect” by the Giants, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports. The potential for usage as a receiver exists as well, of course, and opinions could change at Colorado’s upcoming Pro Day. The two-way star wants to replicate his heavy workload at the NFL level, and his ability to do that will depend in large part on where he winds up being drafted.
The Giants entered the offseason with cornerback representing a glaring need. Despite coming off a season-ending injury, Paulson Adebo landed a lucrative deal to head to New York, putting him in position to handle starting duties on the perimeter. The team also has 2024 third-rounder Dru Phillips in place as a first-team option in the slot, and Hunter could find himself as the other boundary starter opposite Adebo. Deonte Banks faced high expectations upon arrival as a first-rounder in 2023, but he has not developed as hoped so far.
A usage rate heavy on defensive duties could still leave Hunter available for at least part-time duties as a receiver. The Giants have Malik Nabers atop the depth chart for the present as well as the long-term future, and they retained veteran Darius Slayton this offseason. Hunter could occupy a complementary role in the passing game ahead of Wan’Dale Robinson and/or Jalin Hyatt in the pecking order, but a larger role would likely await him at corner as things stand.
The Titans are increasingly being viewed as likely to select Cam Ward first overall. That would leave the Giants – set to draft third overall – as one of the teams strongly in contention to add Hunter. A quarterback selection at some point in April’s draft could be in store for New York, although the deals for Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson have given the team short-term veteran options under center.
While it would come as a surprise if Hunter remained on the board past the first few selections in the draft, he has admirers beyond the top of the selection order. One of those is Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, as noted by The Athletic’s Dianna Russini (video link). Dallas currently owns the 12th overall pick, so an aggressive trade would no doubt be required to get within striking distance. Hunter would of course nonetheless represent a splashy addition for a Cowboys team looking to rebound from a poor 2024 season.
Shadeur under-threw him all season so with Russ and Jameis (both great deep ball throwers) why wouldn’t you want him at WR opposite of Nabers if your Daboll, who’s 100% coaching for his job. Understandably their secondary blows but I think he’s a bonafide WR1 to be and you can at least paint the picture they have a Tiffany WR duo after this season (he’ll be looking for a new job most likely).
Well, Dallas is going to have their cap tied up for many years if all goes according to plan, so they need to build through the draft (and rather aggressively, at that). They don’t figure to be adding many high ticket free agents in the next couple of years, so any difference makers to help capitalize on the momentum of these huge contracts will have to come through the draft.
According to Spotrac.com, Dallas will have $ 78 million in cap space in 2026 and 229 million in cap space in 2027.
Maybe so, but they also haven’t signed Parsons yet. I think it’s fair to say that they’re going to have a few more extensions in those years, as well. Dallas has always drafted well, so those things together lead me to believe that their draft is going to be their main source of impact player acquisitions for the next couple of years. With that in mind, I definitely see the argument for them being one of the more aggressive teams by comparison.
Yes, Sportac figures are a bit deceptive in the sense that anyone not under contract in that year is counted as 0 toward the cap, for 27 they currently have only 15 or so players under contract. They are sitting around $35M or so this year. Parsons counting around $25M already. He will likely sign for something like $40-50M so eats into that number for 26 and 27. Still not in a bad place with the cap but the longer Jerry waits the more Parson costs him.
I think if you want him to be a two-way player, it’s easier to have him be a full-time corner and have packages for him as a receiver. I do think he has serious star potential at both and can see a case for either. The Giants need both. My biggest concern about him as a prospect is the injury risk of a special workload at the next level.
Right. Coincidentally (since Deion was his coach), you have Deion Sanders that one year in Dallas as a blueprint for how to use him. Full-time CB, use him situationally as a WR. Giants are not deep at WR, either, so he’d fit right into any four WR set.
Nabers and Hunter would be electric.
Don’t get me too hyped, haha. Giants always disappoint me over the last decade+.
As a Jets fan, please accept my deepest sympathies about your grave disappointment. That’s some serious adversity. A decade plus since your last Super Bowl win and the one before that. Golly that must be rough.
Hunter now: “I want to replicate my heavy workload at the NFL level.”
Hunter three weeks into the season: “They… um… hit a LOT harder in the NFL than they do in college…”
I will never understand teams thinking Hunter can be a CB let alone a shutdown one.
Play him at WR and develop him so he actually has some chance of playing up to his incredibly high draft slot.