Draft Analysis: Travis Hunter

April 19, 2025 /
  • Height: 6’0″
  • Weight: 188 lbs.
  • College: Colorado
  • Tape watched: UCF, Kansas State, Arizona, Baylor, North Dakota State
  • NFL Comparison: Calvin Ridley

Pros

  • Athleticism

Let’s just get it out of the way early, Travis Hunter is an athletic specimen. I’ll only mention it once to spare everyone, but it takes an otherworldly athlete to play both sides of the field in today’s football landscape.

Hunter refrained from testing at the combine and his pro day. Much like Marvin Harrison Jr. last year, there was nothing to gain for Hunter. He is plenty fast, twitchy as hell, and can be difficult to tackle. He has elite leaping skills, and I really like his hip mobility in and out of cuts.

  • Hands

A real assassin at the catch point, Hunter had a sub 5% drop rate last year and converted a ridiculous 64.7% contested targets. He was among the leaders in catch percentage as well, securing 96 of his 121 targets.

  • Route Running

Crisp cuts, horizontally friendly to the quarterback, and the ability to read leverages, Travis Hunter is refined in his route running. His tempo through zone coverage is methodical. In man coverage, he is good at closing off defenders to his hip.

An area for Hunter to improve is his play strength in being rerouted and being held through his routes.

A perfect horizontal cut and Hunter pops back at the catch point.
Hunter identifies the dropping zone defenders and carves it up, adjusting his route on the fly.
Here’s an instance of Hunter getting pressed to the sideline and unable to get back to the ball.

Midline

  • Release

Travis Hunter displayed multiple release packages at Colorado. He uses his hands and arms well. He can slide, jab, and dip his shoulders. He has a bad habit of getting caught too upright in his release and getting blown back by physical jams by cornerbacks.

This release is *chefs kiss*.
  • YAC

A dynamic runner with the football, Travis Hunter is a big play waiting to happen. Forcing 24 tackles in 2024, Hunter is slippery with the football. After the catch, Hunter is a lot like George Pickens in how he keeps his legs free of contact.

Cons

  • Dual Threat

Okay I lied, I’m mentioning it again, but in a different light. Hunter was clearly fatigued on offense in multiple instances. You could see his burst and effort dwindled on plays he wasn’t the first or second read on plays. This can’t fly in the NFL, and will surely be monitored more closely by coaches. In my opinion it is foolish to draft Hunter in the top 5 and not allow him to play both sides of the field. Unfortunately, I do think that limits the meaningful snaps he may have on one side or the other.

  • Blocking

Are you really concerned if your top 5 draft pick that plays both sides of the ball blocks well? Yeah, me either.

Overview

Travis Hunter is an anomaly the NFL has yet to fully experience. I truly believe Hunter’s best position is receiver. He is a refined route runner with excellent hands and is a shark for splash plays. He shows flashes of players like Justin Jefferson, Santonio Holmes, and Calvin Ridley. True offensive difference makers are hard to come by, and Hunter fits the bill.