Travis Hunter aims to play both ways in the NFL but has primarily looked like a natural cornerback. That’s why most scouts and pundits believe he will only see a small percentage of snaps at wide receiver. But Lions legend Calvin Johnson says that despite Hunter’s great defensive skills, he should focus on making it as a wide receiver. Johnson revealed a key reason why.
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Although many have suggested Hunter prioritize cornerback, Johnson believes otherwise. He told Kay Adams on the Up & Adams show that playing wide receiver and catching passes from the quarterback comes with a bigger paycheck.
He also added that by playing both sides, Hunter risks wearing out his body faster, potentially cutting his career short.
“He’s a great corner and has awesome ball skills… I mean, honestly, if we’re talking about that paycheck, you might wanna play receiver,” the former wideout said before adding:
“And I say that because you’re going to get beat and worn down playing both sides of the ball if that’s the case. But if it’s limited, if they’re able to limit him and get him a certain amount of plays, so he can be out there when the time matters most, that might be the best way to go about it.”
It’s an interesting take from Johnson, and one that seems to becoming the popular forecast for Hunter and how his rookie season should look. Many pundits and scouts believe he will be a full-time corner. But small sets of offensive plays tailored for him in special situations will also be in the cards. The fact that he arrived at the NFL Combine donning a defensive back jersey only adds to that theory.
Which side of the ball does @calvinjohnsonjr think Travis Hunter should commit to??
“If you’re talking about that paycheck… you might wanna play receiver.”@heykayadams @TravisHunterJr pic.twitter.com/v8RkmchNBU
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) March 3, 2025
But Hunter has been adamant that he still wants to play receiver in the NFL. He’s gone on record telling the entire nation, “I’m just different” when it comes to how he will pull this off.
Yes, it’s going to be a massive challenge for him — one that maybe he hasn’t encountered up to this point in his career. But why are scouts acting like he can’t play both ways 100% of the time? Well, mostly because we just haven’t seen it done before in the big league. Yet, we also never really saw what Hunter did at receiver and defensive back ever in college football.
When Charles Woodson won the Heisman as a two-way player in 1997, he was a gadget offensive tool at best. He never finished with more than 11 catches for just over 200 yards as a receiver. Now compare that to Hunter, who we just saw put up 1258 receiving yards. Add on 96 grabs too.
Hunter was a legitimate weapon for Colorado as a receiver and a lockdown corner at the same time. What Woodson did was pennies on the dollar comparatively.
That’s why Hunter deserves his chance to play both positions in the NFL. He wasn’t just good at both positions in college; he was elite. Whatever team drafts him better give him as many opportunities at both positions as possible. Otherwise, we won’t ever truly know what we have in Hunter.
