The New England Patriots hold the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and as a team with many needs, team executive Eliot Wolf is not ruling out a two-way star like Colorado’s Travis Hunter.
The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner dominated on both sides of the ball during his stellar season at Colorado. But, with the draft around the corner, the question surrounding the two-way star is whether he will play both positions at the next level?
That was a big question at the 2025 NFL Combine where team’s drafting at the top of the draft got a chance to weigh in. Although the Patriots have one of the top young corners in the league in All-Pro Christian Gonzalez, Hunter’s offensive talent puts him at play with the Patriots.
According to Wolf, the Fred Bilenikoff Award-winner is too “unique” not to consider at a top 5 pick.
“He’s really unique and instinctive at both positions, so I think there’s a scenario where he’s probably going to major in one and minor in the other,” Wold said, as transcribed by CBS Sports. “But I think there’s a scenario where he can play both ways.”
Travis Hunter would join a list of versatile players in New England
One of the Patriots top needs is an explosive offensive playmaker and Hunter certainly fits that mold given his production at receiver in 2024. But would he lean more towards receiver over defensive back in the NFL?
If selected by a team like the Patriots, the hope would be that he would become a top target for Drake Maye on the offensive side of the ball, while supporting Gonzalez on the defensive side of the ball. It’s an intriguing option for the Patriots as they could have a Drake-to-Hunter duo offensively while at the same time formulating a Gonzalez-Hunter duo defensively that would instantly be one of the top corner duos in the NFL.
With Gonzalez in place, that would allow Hunter to “minor” on defense. Patriots fans have seen this in the past with players like Julian Edelman and Troy Brown going from offense to defense when needed. In recent years, cornerback Marcus Jones has gone from defense to offense. Let’s not forget, the Patriots new coach Mike Vrabel also went from defense to offense in his day with the Patriots.
More NFL Combine coverage:
Most of those scenarios, however, were more due to personnel deficiencies. In the case of Hunter, he would bring high talent on both sides of the ball to any roster which is what makes him so intriguing.
Could the Patriots land a big 3 of Maye, Gonzalez, and Hunter? If he is there at No. 4, it sounds like Wolf is prepared to take on the two-way star potential…as he and the team should.