Mel Kiper Jr. breaks down why 'best player' Travis Hunter won't go No. 1 in NFL Draft

The college football season is at an end and with that, the top prospects in the sport are turning their attention to prepare for the NFL Draft. It’s no surprise that the group of players going pro is going to include Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.

An incredibly intriguing prospect, Hunter played both wide receiver and cornerback at Colorado and he played them both very well. It’s because of that versatility and talent that ESPN NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. is calling him the best player in the draft and projecting him to be taken second overall by the Cleveland Browns.

“Then you go to pick number 2,” Kiper said on Get Up. “This is where, again, these two quarterbacks getting forced up just a bit. Who’s the best player in this draft? That’s Travis Hunter from Colorado. Be it wide receiver, corner, Cleveland needs a dynamic presence at that wide receiver spot. Sprinkle him in at corner. They go Travis Hunter, best player in the draft, over the quarterback Shedeur Sanders.”

In the current mock draft from Kiper, he has Miami quarterback Cam Ward going first overall to the Tennessee Titans. After that is Travis Hunter. Then, it’s the New York Giants at third overall who are in line to select Hunter’s Colorado teammate Shedeur Sanders. If that’s how things worked out, it would give Colorado two of the top three NFL Draft picks.

The reality for Travis Hunter in the NFL Draft is that even if he’s the best player, as Kiper described him, he plays positions that are generally less valuable to teams than the quarterback position is to them. So, when they have their choice of quarterback or are in a position of need and can move up, it’s going to lead to quarterbacks being selected higher.

It’s also important to note that at this stage in his mock drafts, Kiper doesn’t include trades. He did go on to note that it’s possible that a team like the Las Vegas Raiders would want to trade up to draft a quarterback, like Shedeur Sanders in that second overall slot.

Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy on the back of a 2024 season where he had 96 receptions for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns. On defense, he made 36 total tackles, a tackle for loss, and four interceptions to go with 11 passes defended.

Kiper hinted at this, suggesting the Browns would primarily use Hunter as a wide receiver, but there is some question about his position in the NFL. Being a two-way player who plays every snap like he does at Colorado seems very difficult, so he will likely focus on offense or defense and offer versatility to the other side as a professional. In Cleveland, it would make sense to focus on offense first given their team needs.