No college football player was more exciting than Travis Hunter in 2024. The University of Colorado football star excelled as a two-way player to win the Heisman Trophy, joining Rashaan Salaam (who won it 30 years earlier) as the only Buffaloes to win the sportās most prestigious award.
Next up for Hunter is the NFL Draft in April, where he will be one of the first players picked. With the Super Bowl over, our attention can shift to the 2025 NFL Draft. At BetColorado.com, we developed odds projecting what NFL team will draft the star wide receiver and cornerback.
Team | Odds | Percent Change |
Cleveland Browns | +200 | 33.3% |
Las Vegas Raiders | +300 | 25.0% |
New England Patriots | +450 | 18.2% |
New York Giants | +950 | 9.5% |
Jacksonville Jaguars | +1050 | 8.7% |
The Field | +1800 | 5.3% |
These odds are exclusive to BetColorado.com, where the best Colorado sportsbook promo codes can be found.
Perhaps the bigger āwhereā for Hunter isnāt the city heāll call his next football home, but rather the position heāll play the most on Sundays. NFL coaches and front office executives believe the unanimous All-American can excel at either wide receiver or cornerback. At WR in 2024, Hunter led the Big 12 with 96 receptions and 15 touchdown receptions, finishing fifth nationally with 1,258 receiving yards. As a corner, he was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year after finishing second with 11 passes defended and third with four interceptions.
Most in the NFL peg Hunter as a shutdown corner, like Denver Broncos CB Patrick Surtain II, who won the leagueās Defensive Player of the Year Award last week. There are far fewer shutdown corners in the NFL than elite-level receivers, so Hunter would be more valuable lining up against the likes of JaāMarr Chase and Justin Jefferson.
Still, Hunter should also get his chance on offense regardless of the team that picks him. However, most teams would likely limit his role on offense in hopes of keeping him fresher and healthy enough to play a 17-game NFL season.
A cornerback might not be the biggest need for the Cleveland Browns, but itās one of several the franchise has entering the 2025 season. Colorado sports betting sites will offer plenty of props for the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Browns own the second pick and face a big issue because elite defensive end Myles Garrett wants out. Hunter canāt fill Garrettās shoes, but he can help a defense that picked off a measly four passes last season, the NFLās fewest. Cleveland defended only 60 passes, tied for 25th in the 32-team league.
Hunterās profile would seem to be a perfect fit for the Raiders. Not just because they need a corner, but because the franchise has a history of selecting unique talents, such as Charles Woodson. Another two-way college player, Woodson played 11 of his 18 NFL seasons for the Silver and Black and became a Hall of Fame corner. However, it seems unlikely Hunter will slip to sixth, where Las Vegas has its first-round pick. DraftKings Colorado Sportsbook lists Hunter with +425 odds to be the No. 1 overall pick, fourth on the board, where Cam Ward (-120) is the favorite to go to the Tennessee Titans.
Should the Browns pass up Hunter, the Giants and Patriots ā the two teams that pick right behind Cleveland ā need a cornerback, though other positions are in worse shape. He would likely get a chance to play offense for either team, but New York also needs a quarterback to throw him the ball and New England needs to give quarterback Drake Maye enough time in the pocket to throw past the first down marker.
The Jaguars, who pick fifth, also need of a corner as they gave up a league-worst 4,375 yards in the air in 2024 and picked off just six passes. Offensively, Hunter could be a big-play option alongside last yearās first rounder Brian Thomas, who caught 87 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 scores.
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USA Today photo by Todd Van Emst/Heisman Trust
Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.
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