What Mike Vrabel thinks is the best development plan for Travis Hunter
One of the big questions of the 2025 NFL Draft is how teams will use two-way Colorado superstar Travis Hunter. On Monday, Mike Vrabel hinted at what that plan might look like if Hunter is drafted by the New England Patriots.
With all three teams picking above the New England Patriots in the 2025 NFL Draft still dealing with uncertainty at the quarterback position, it is looking possible that Heisman winner Travis Hunter could fall to the team with the fourth overall pick. Hunter is viewed by many as one of just two blue-chip players in this draft, but what makes him unique is the fact that he has game-changing upside at two positions – wide receiver and cornerback.
Hunter played both ways full time at Colorado over the last two years. In 13 games in 2024 he caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns while recording four interceptions and 11 pass breakups on defense. After the season he was named a unanimous All-American on both offense and defense.
Could Hunter continue to be a full-time two-way player at the NFL level? Experts are split on that, with the physicality and wear-and-tear that comes with playing down-to-down in the NFL often being cited as a reason it would be unrealistic for Hunter – or any player – to do so.
In reality though, only one team will get to decide where Hunter will be taking snaps in the NFL. If that’s the Patriots, what would their plan be? On Monday, head coach Mike Vrabel was asked how he sees Hunter being used at the NFL level.
“I don’t know how anybody could say how hard it would be – we’ve never seen a player do it [play two ways full time],” Vrabel said.
He continued talking about how he wouldn’t object to Hunter being a two-way player, but that it might be something he needs to build to rather than do right away.
“I think that there are some things that he can improve on by probably concentrating on just one position, but [I’m] never going to put any restrictions on Travis or any player. We try to – as much as they can handle, we’re going to continue to put more on their plate,” Vrabel noted. “If he were on our football team and he showed a great skill at one position, he was starting to really do well in his conditioning and it didn’t fall off and it didn’t drop, we would be open to playing everybody that we had at more than one position. Anything that would help the football team, I would be all in favor of.”
Asked flat out if Hunter will need a ‘primary position,’ Vrabel did say he believes that approach would help Hunter early on in his NFL career.
“To improve I think there has to be a primary focus just to be able to get some of the details that are going to be required at this league,” Vrabel explained. “So we’ll see once everybody’s on our football team where they end up playing or where they end up starting out and practicing.”
What Vrabel thinks of Hunter, and how he would use him on his team, obviously only matter if it’s the Patriots taking Hunter at No. 4 overall. If they do though these answers could provide a useful blueprint, with executive vice president of player Personnel Eliot Wolf sharing later in the day on an appearance on Up & Adams that it would the coaching staff dictating the organization’s plans for Hunter – including the pick itself.
“If he’s available – which is a huge question mark – that’ll be up to the coaching staff to determine where he’s going to fit in and also if we would even pick him,” Wolf told host Kay Adams when asked if he’d prefer to see Hunter on offense or defense.
Wolf did share his own thoughts on Hunter playing two ways in his interview with Mike Felger on Monday. “That’ll be up to the coaching staff,” Wolf reiterated. “From my perspective, having him play one way would maybe – I don’t want to say waste, but sort of not be maximizing what he can be. So I think wherever he goes, my guess is he’ll be majoring in one position and minoring in the other.”
If Hunter does end up getting drafted by the Patriots and focusing on one position, it wouldn’t be surprising if that ends up being wide receiver. The Patriots have a bigger need both long-term and short-term at receiver, and Vrabel also spoke at the Combine about how difficult it can be to add a true coverage-dictating wideout without drafting one. Hunter himself also reportedly would prefer wide receiver if he has to focus on one spot, but has said he hopes to play both ways as a pro.
