The New York Giants are looking out for Colorado’s two-way star, Travis Hunter. They are legitimately thinking about taking him with their third overall pick in next year’s NFL Draft. Hunter has dazzled practically all of college football with his incredible play-making ability as both a cornerback and wide receiver. His versatility makes him an incredibly valuable asset for any team. If the Giants draft him, they want to let him loose on both sides of the ball. They understand that it will be too hard to juggle that kind of position at the pro level.
General Manager Joe Schoen acknowledged the complexities of having a player like Hunter operate as a two-way talent in the NFL. He shared some really important insights into the mental load that is involved in learning how to do both roles.
“We’re looking at the workloads and the yardage each day and then to me what we will have to be settled is the mental part of it because offense is very hard to learn and then the defense on a weekly basis…” – Joe Schoen, General Manager of the New York Giants
Hunter’s performance during his college career was impressive. He played 86% of Colorado’s snaps last season, which was the highest percentage in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). His workload was almost perfectly balanced, with 49% offensive plays and 51% defensive plays, showing off his versatility to the highest degree. The overwhelming consensus from NFL scouts is that Hunter’s best position at the professional level will be cornerback.
The Giants are currently weighing their options. With three solid receivers and a competent secondary already in place, they face a critical decision: should they bypass drafting a quarterback in favor of selecting Hunter? That was Schoen’s way of saying that the team no longer considers it essential to use a draft pick on a quarterback. Their quarterback room includes Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, and Tommy DeVito.
“We would not be afraid to play him on both sides of the ball.” – Joe Schoen
As Hunter has demonstrated, he isn’t content to be hemmed into one side or the other. His ambition ultimately leads him to play both cornerback and wide receiver in the NFL. Of the three, this desire would likely play the most important factor in determining what the Giants ultimately do.
“I wouldn’t bet against the kid. He’s that kind of athlete,” Schoen continued, underlining Hunter’s potential as an elite athlete.
The Giants are bumfuzzled and considering their options. First, they need to ensure that Hunter is on the board when it’s their turn to select. As of today, that’s using the Cleveland Browns’ second overall pick. They are especially focused on Hunter due to his ties with college teammate Shedeur Sanders, who has been rumored to the team.
The hurdles that await Hunter in making this dual-role transition at the NFL level are not to be sugarcoated. Ultimately, the Giants coaching staff will have to determine just how much mental bandwidth a player can operate on before his performance is negatively affected.
“There’s a lot more week-to-week matchup type stuff that our coaches are doing. So just how much can you handle mentally where you can go out there and execute and they can trust you to do your job.” – Joe Schoen
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