The Cleveland Browns potentially put themselves in a position to draft Travis Hunter in the 2025 NFL draft with the No. 2 pick. Hunter is considered the top prospect in the 2025 draft class, but if the Tennessee Titans have their eyes set on a quarterback with the No. 1 pick, he’ll fall right in the Browns lap.
Now, the Browns might decide to look elsewhere and draft a quarterback themselves. That decision is now tougher than it was when they had the No. 3 pick, but it’s something the front office has to consider.
There’s a lot the Browns have to factor. Hunter has a chance to be an All-Pro level player on both sides of the football, and while drafting a quarterback is enticing, he could truly be a franchise-changing guy.
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA Today believes the Browns won’t pass up on that, predicting them to draft him at No. 2.
“This could end up as the defining pick of the draft, as Cleveland will have to consider how eager it is to make a splashy move at quarterback with the Deshaun Watson uncertainty hanging over the franchise for at least another year. But this roster isn’t particularly well-equipped to serve a rookie signal-caller, and it would be hard to go wrong with the Heisman Trophy winner, who’s considered by many to be the premier talent of this class.
“Questions about how Hunter will be utilized at the next level are likely to amplify over the coming months, with much of the early feedback indicating teams could prefer the two-way star at cornerback. In whatever capacity the Browns would care to use him, Hunter would surely make significant mark,” Middlehurst-Schwartz wrote on January 5.
Will Hunter Play Wide Receiver or Corner in the NFL?
Hunter played both sides of the football in college. It’s possible that he could do both in the NFL, likely in a different role than nearly every snap like he played in college, but it’s something that could happen.
He’s good enough to give it a chance, making him even more enticing.
Speaking on “The Rich Eisen Show,” Hunter’s Colorado head coach, Deion Sanders, said teams shouldn’t draft his former player if they don’t expect to play him on both sides of the football.
“I mean, he’s gonna do that, or they shouldn’t draft him. Don’t do that. And I’m going to make sure of that. Don’t draft him if you’re not going to give him an opportunity to play on both sides of the ball,” Sanders said in December.
The Cleveland Browns should be intrigued by his 1,258-yard and 15-touchdown season as a wide receiver and his excellent defensive play, posting an 89.3 PFF grade on the defensive side of the football.
Sanders acknowledged what the Browns and other teams probably want to hear. He knows playing every snap at the NFL level isn’t the best thing for Hunter, but he still urged teams to give him a chance on both ends.
“Now, you can be creative, he don’t have to do what we did with him here, and play every snap. But, just say he’s starting the corner, he’s going to have to be on your nickel packages, or your spread packages on the offense.
“Because he’s going to be probably your best receiver, and you’re going to look like an idiot with your best receiver sitting on the bench, and you can’t get open, you can’t get the ball down the field. Or vice versa. Your best corner isn’t on the field, and they’re bombing you right now, and he’s on the sideline with you.”
Should the Browns Draft Hunter or a Quarterback?
The Cleveland Browns offseason decisions won’t be easy, even outside of who they plan to draft with the No. 2 pick.
On the one hand, drafting a quarterback would give them an option to replace Deshaun Watson with. On the other hand, Hunter could be one of the NFL’s top talents ever if he pans out.
The Browns don’t want to miss out on a generational player, which might mean taking Hunter is the better decision.
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