2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Travis Hunter (Cornerback)
- Jack Gaffney
- Jan 21
- 6 min read
We've already detailed Travis Hunter's prowess on the offensive side of the ball, but his play at cornerback has garnered even better reviews over the past two years. Entering the NFL Draft as one of eight unanimous All-Americans, his prowess as a zone defender has been lauded by many, and by just looking at the stat sheet, his ball skills travel to the opposite side of the field as well: Nine career interceptions with an additional 24 PBUs in 29 career games between Jackson State and Colorado.
Hunter's raw athleticism, playmaking ability/ball skills, and IQ did him wonders on the offensive side of the ball. As of the time of writing, he is this draft's top option in my view. However, I've also long considered him the best corner in this class over Michigan's Will Johnson. How much does the tape reinforce that proclamation?
Player Bio
Name: Travis Hunter
Jersey: No. 12
Position: Cornerback/Wide Receiver
School: Colorado (by way of Jackson State)
Class: Junior
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 185 lbs
Games Watched: vs. Arizona, Colorado State, and Stanford (2023), vs. UCF, Baylor, and Kansas (2024)
Major Injury History: Hunter missed five games during his freshman year at Jackson State with an undisclosed injury (believed to be ankle-related after spraining it coming into that season). He then missed three games in 2023 after suffering a lacerated liver from a hit vs. Colorado State.
Player Breakdown
Man Coverage (14/15)
Hunter ended up having a rough time in man coverage vs. Elic Ayomanor last year vs. Stanford, but it's fair to point out that was after a multiweek layoff due to that Colorado State injury, so we didn't hold that against him too much given what you're about to hear. In the five other games, Hunter consistently showed off great chops as a man defender, sticking to receivers' hips, having the ability to undercut routes to make plays on the ball, and was in near-complete control anytime he was tasked with holding inside leverage.
Hunter still has some things he could improve at; some bigger assignments could give him some issues at his current size, and he can occasionally be a bit handsy at the top of routes. However, I wasn't expecting to feel this good about his ability as a man-defender after the 2023 games. He deserves a ton of props for his improvements in 2024.
Zone Coverage (14.75/15)
Hunter's understanding of zone coverage and his play in zone is extraordinary, which has been his calling card for a while now. His combination of smarts, ability to read the eyes of opposing QBs, athletic fluidity, and change of direction skills showed up a ton on tape and made him a lethal threat in some of these conflict situations as a median-level defender. You'll see this in a few moments once we get to his instincts, but some of the stuff he pulled off working shallow/in the flats coming off his assignments is preposterous.
Instincts (10/10)
Ed Reed is, has been, and always will be the standard bearer for instinctual DB play, and this is not me saying Hunter is on that level; no one is, but some of the things he's capable of in coverage are Reed-esque. This UCF play is one of the most preposterous things I've ever seen. He's responsible for this deep receiver up at the top (guessing C3 or C4 look here), but he's driving on this fullback in the flat right as the QB is sidestepping this near sack. It would've been tough for the quarterback to hit the deep man here, but that's a risk you only take if you're 100 percent sure as a defender, and Hunter absolutely trusted what he saw and was rewarded in full thanks to his alien-like athleticism. Out-of-this-world stuff, and worth dropping the Heisman pose in late September.
There are about nine other plays of Hunter doing stuff in this realm as well. That number isn't an exaggeration, either. Call it a sixth sense, say the game slows down for him, whatever; this kid understands the game at an elite level and can translate that into game-changing defensive plays at the snap of a finger.
Ball Skills (10/10)
This score feels self-explanatory, given who we're talking about. His knack for making plays on the ball is elite, elite, elite. Not exactly a guy you'd want to see in coverage if you're going to take some velo off the ball as a quarterback. Odds start around the 90-percent mark that Hunter is turning you over and closer to 100 that he's getting a hand on that pass.
Press/Physicality (8.25/10)
We briefly touched on that Elic Ayomanor matchup being a bit of a sore spot for Hunter, and while I do believe he may struggle with some more physically demanding matchups moving forward with regard to his physicality/functional strength, his ability as a softer press guy was excellent, and to his credit, he took full advantage of the different DPI/Illegal Contact rulings that the NCAA rulebook offers. Assuming he adds muscle mass, I have zero doubt he'll be able to ramp up the physicality against NFL wide receivers and, in turn, become a more sticky press guy. Also, I think this is some good insight from Patriots Twitter's own Coach Williams.
Long Speed (9.5/10)
Although a few plays popped up where Hunter may have overestimated his ability to go vertical in pursuit, his long speed and, more importantly, functional long speed was excellent as a cornerback. This rep against Tet McMillan in '23 is a good example of functional speed. He's not the fastest guy Hunter faced, but he's by no means slow, especially for someone north of 6'3" and 210, and he's glued to him this entire way (does he get away with a tug here? Probably, but that's not the important part here).
Tackling/Run Support (7.5/10)
Effort wasn't an issue with Hunter when it came to playing the run, as it was more of a consistency and technique issue. Wrapping up more should be a stress spot moving forward, but some of his "heat seaker" tackles were pretty impressive. The playing weight is something I talked about with his receiver work, and ultimately, Hunter also had some issues working through guys to make plays as well. If it's any consolation, I thought the last of the six games I saw vs. Baylor was the best batch of run-support/tackling snaps he put out. There were also a few plays where he came a long way away in run pursuit, which I can appreciate.
Athleticism (10/10)
I'd refer to what I had to say about Hunter's athleticism offensively, but to sum up, it carries over to the other side of the ball seamlessly. Movement skills, fluidity, verticality, stamina—it's all there.
Change of Direction (5/5)
Freaky would be the first word that comes to mind when you talk about Hunter and his ability to change direction on a dime. Anytime he was responsible for anything in the flat and had to drive down on a ball carrier or pass, he was doing something positive. Even latterally, look at what he does here in the red zone to break up this ball, and more so how quickly this all happens.
You simply can't teach the kind of directional agility Hunter brings to the table.
Length (4.75/5)
Even with a lack of mass, Hunter's length was a massive boon to his defensive abilities, allowing him to always be competitive at the catch point and, of course, making outright plays on the ball. I thought Cooper DeJean had some good showcases of length usage a year ago among that batch of cornerbacks. Even though he had more muscle mass at that point, he didn't showcase the freakish playmaking chops that Hunter did, and Dejean was an exceptional PBU guy at Iowa.
Player Summary
Hunter was already an elite cornerback prospect before he ever took a snap in the 2024 season, but his growth and development, and the fact he got more reps in, have certainly raised his stock even more. The leaps he made as a man defender this year make me feel really good about his prospects of being a scheme-fluid boundary corner at the next level, but his best fit would be in a more zone-oriented defense. He's got all the tools you're looking for in a true No. 1 boundary guy, and in the right circumstances, has infinite upside; indeed, he's a special talent.
Now, having watched him on both sides of the ball, Hunter is definitely a better corner than receiver, but I don't think you can keep this guy on the bench offensively if that's the route you'd take him in the NFL. Even if that means he's heavily limited as a wideout, Hunter is simply too dynamic a football player, and a playmaker at his core. That's more than enough to, at the very least, give him some looks/packages designed around him.
I know Colorado didn't light up the win column these last two years, through no fault of Hunter's, obviously. But the phrase goes, "Winning players make winning plays," and Travis Hunter is capable of providing a lot of those in the National Football League right away on both sides of the ball. Anyone who gets him would be extremely lucky.
Rookie Projections: Starting Outside Cornerback
Third-Year Projection: All-Pro Caliber Cornerback
Final Grade (93.75/100): Top-10 Talent [TDT Media's Current No. 1 Ranked 2025 NFL Prospect]
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