Let’s take a closer look at one of the prospects the Panthers could select in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Since it’s never too early to look forward to the NFL Draft, this weekly series will take a closer look at some of the prospects the Carolina Panthers could select in the 2025 iteration of the Draft. In this series, we’ll only be looking at prospects the Panthers could seriously consider. With the benching of Bryce Young just two weeks into the season in favor of 36-year-old Andy Dalton, quarterbacks are now on the board. This week our profile will focus on Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter.
No player in college football has been as hyped this season as Travis Hunter, with good reason. Hunter is a two way phenom for the Buffs and has been his entire tenure there. At 6’1”, 185 lbs, he has the size to play both wide receiver and cornerback at the NFL level. After committing to Florida State, Hunter flipped to Jackson State to play for Deion Sanders, becoming the first 5-star recruit to sign with an FCS program. He then followed the Sanders family to Colorado in 2023.
Hunter’s strengths are plentiful. He’s a freakish athlete with the fluidity and explosiveness to make highlight plays on both sides of the ball. Perhaps because of his understanding of route concepts as a wide receiver, he has shown incredible instincts on defense allowing him to jump routes. His fluid hips allow him to change directions both while running crisp routes and while backpedaling in coverage. He is also in incredible shape, as evidenced by his 130 snaps per game average. His main drawbacks are his thin frame, which can lead to him getting bullied downfield by bigger receivers, and his ability to shed blocks to impact the run game. That’s really it, and those weaknesses are improvable. An NFL weight training program will beef him up, and that extra strength plus some better technique will help against the run. Overall, he’s pretty close to a can’t miss prospect on both sides of the ball.
If the Panthers do find themselves in position to take Hunter in the 2025 Draft, would you want the team to take him? Sound off in the comments below!