Barring what would be a shocking development, the Tennessee Titans are expected to make Miami quarterback Cam Ward the first pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. This would leave the Cleveland Browns (pick No. 2), New York Giants (No. 3) and New England Patriots (No. 4) as potential landing spots for Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter.
For a piece published Friday, ESPN NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller discussed how the Browns, Giants or Patriots could use Hunter during his rookie season.
“When considering his fit with the Browns — who own the No. 2 pick — it’s easy to see him playing wide receiver given the team’s desperate need for a viable option opposite Jerry Jeudy,” Miller wrote about Hunter. “There could be more of a split with the Giants and Patriots, since those teams have No. 1 receivers (Malik Nabers and Stefon Diggs, respectively) and could use him on some defensive snaps. The Giants might be Hunter’s most likely destination as a primary cornerback because of Nabers and the Giants’ lack of a true top cover man.”
Browns insider Tony Grossi
of ESPN Cleveland/The Land on Demand wrote in his latest mock draft published this past Wednesday that individuals running the team are “intoxicated by Hunter’s offensive skillset.” Meanwhile, Hunter was previously referred to as “an ideal stylistic complement to” Nabers for a Giants team that finished the 2024 regular season ranked 31st in the league with an average of 16.1 points scored per game, per ESPN. As for the Patriots, the club coming off a 4-13 campaign could use help on both sides of the ball.
“I’m in favor of Hunter playing defense full time,” ESPN’s Jordan Reid wrote for Friday’s article, “and then involving him in an offensive package of 20-25 plays per game.”
Many national reporters and analysts have recently linked the Browns with Penn State pass-rusher Abdul Carter instead of Hunter. Thus, Giants general manager Joe Schoen may have to choose between taking Hunter or Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders at No. 3.
As of Friday morning, there was no indication New England was willing to make a trade in order to move up even a single spot in the draft order for Hunter.
“I haven’t yet spoken to a team that thinks Hunter will play one side of the ball exclusively (all envision at least a part time role on the side where he doesn’t feature),” analyst Field Yates added in Friday’s ESPN piece, “and I’ve yet to find a team that thinks his ceiling is low at either spot. Hunter’s Pro Bowl upside at wide receiver or cornerback is very real.”
As of Friday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Hunter as the betting favorite at -225 odds to be the third overall pick of the upcoming draft. It sounds like the Giants could soon have a new offensive weapon for quarterback Russell Wilson and also a potential top cornerback.
This content was brought to you by: Yardbarker: NFL
