Hot take: Two-way Colorado football star Travis Hunter a good 2025 NFL draft prospect, but not quite 'elite'

With The First Pick's Ryan McCrary believes two-way Colorado football star Travis Hunter is a good, but not elite, 2025 NFL draft prospect despite his versatility being able to play two, and during the 2024 season, potentially three positions.

"He isn’t a bad prospect, I’m just not sure his profile is quite good enough for him to rank so high, especially in a really good draft class," McCrary prefaced before saying, "Perhaps playing just one position would allow him to be more productive at that position because playing both sides of the ball is physically taxing and it can’t be easy to play well consistently when you are playing so many snaps.

"If Hunter has a strong final season and performs well at the NFL combine next year, he could be a special prospect. For now, I think he is a good prospect but not quite an elite one. We’ll see if that changes when I revisit his profile in a couple of months."

As McCrary notes in detail, Hunter is a big-play receiver in the slot, primarily with his YAC, but he's not quite a WR1 at the next level because he isn't much of a deep threat. Defensively, his man-coverage is elite, but he isn't someone who will rack up tackles and work overtime to take down ball-carriers.

Deion Sanders' prediction that two Colorado football players will go at the top of the draft may not come to fruition

Deion Sanders claimed that his son, Shedeur, and Hunter would be two of the top four picks in the 2025 NFL draft. As the 2024 season approaches, though, that prediction looks less and less likely to come to fruition.

Hunter's versatility is touted, but an NFL team will need to be sold on his play on at least one side of the ball enough to make him a top pick. The Collins Hill product needs to make notable winning plays in 2024 to sway the narrative his way.

Shedeur's case is less cut and dry. It's possible NFL teams will want to avoid the media circus bringing him on would invite, while Deion will always lurk as someone willing to pounce on a coaching staff for not setting his son up for more success under center.

Maybe Colorado won't have the presence at the top of NFL draft boards next year as Coach Prime once predicted.