Back in the day, Aaron Lockett was quite the wide receiver in college. He was also a solid punt returner, leading the NCAA in punt return average in 2020. This versatility on offense and special teams gave him a firsthand look at how tough it is to juggle multiple roles.
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Now, Travis Hunter is raising the bar by aiming to play both wide receiver and cornerback in the NFL. It’s a step beyond Lockett’s versatility as a wideout and return specialist in college. And Hunter’s doing it right after a Heisman-worthy campaign with the Colorado Buffaloes. We sat down with Lockett for an exclusive interview to get his take on this ambitious path of the Colorado star.
As a reference point, Aaron had an exceptional career at Kansas State, racking up 2400 career receiving yards and almost 1000 career return yards. That production got him picked in the 7th round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Aaron is actually the uncle of NFL wide receiver Tyler Lockett. And he didn’t hold back when asked about Hunter. He was fully supportive of the second overall pick wanting to continue playing both offense and defense after college.
“I think it can be done, to what level and satisfaction is yet to be seen,” Lockett told in an exclusive interview with The SportsRush.
“But I remember Charles Woodson did. I played with a guy named Terrance Newman, and Terrance Newman did it. So, it’s been done before. Deion Sanders did it in the NFL. While it’s not the norm, you do have people that have exceptional talent, right? As long as you’ve got the height, weight, athletic ability, speed, and endurance, why not?” the former wide receiver continued.
‘Why not’ is exactly right. Other than being slightly undersized compared to a typical NFL cornerback, Hunter certainly has the athleticism, speed, and endurance to hold his own. And once he gets fully into his NFL training program, he should be able to bulk up to a more suitable weight.
But as Lockett admitted, it’s not going to be as smooth sailing as it was for Hunter in college. There are going to be challenges.
“Obviously, there’s going to be challenges. Because if you’re taking your time away from one craft, it’s hard to manage that craft. So, playing offense and defense and trying to learn both sides of the ball, you’re not going to be as effective as you could be on one side or the other. But it doesn’t mean you can’t be effective overall,” Lockett added.
This is what NFL scouts and analysts have been concerned about throughout the process of scouting Hunter and hearing he wants to continue being a two-way player in the NFL. We all know he can do both; it’s just a matter of how good he can be while doing it. It would be a shame to see him spread himself too thin and never fully reach his potential.
But still, Lockett believes it’s the right path for Hunter to pursue. In fact, he urged the rising star to keep at it so he can bring even more value to the field.
“The more you can do on the field, the more value you have to that club. So, you’ve got to figure out what you can put in front of them to make you more attractive as a player… The more valuable you become, the more opportunity you have to play longer in your career.”
Wise words coming from Lockett. His ability to play both wide receiver and as a return specialist earned him the value that made him a compensatory selection in 2002. And even though he was never able to carve out a role in the NFL, he was able to play in the Canadian Football League for three seasons. In 2005, he even led the league in return yardage.
It’s pretty much what we’ve been telling Hunter all along, but it’s nice to hear some confirmation from a former player. Especially one who had to be someone like Travis, playing one of the same positions Hunter does.
Lastly, we just want to say thank you to Aaron for giving us the time. It was a great interview, and we appreciate him being so open and honest when answering questions. And we encourage all of you to go learn more about his new role as President of the sports division at NextPage Sports.
