Mike Vrabel Doesn T Seem Sure That Travis Hunter Could Play Outkick

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 18, 2025, 3:11 PM

mike vrabel doesn t seem sure that travis hunter could play outkick

Travis Hunter is convinced he can be a two-way player in the NFL. Mike Vrabel, though, isn't so sure. On his way to claiming the 2024 Heisman Trophy, Hunter played both wide receiver and cornerback for the Colorado Buffaloes. As he prepares to be a top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, he wants to continue playing both positions. "I've been doing it for a long time, so, I feel like I can keep doing it," Hunter said in February at the Scouting Combine. Travis Hunter wants to play both offense and defense in the NFL.

One possible landing spot for Hunter is with the New England Patriots, who have the No. 4 pick. Head coach Mike Vrabel seemed to imply that the Pats wouldn't be able to accommodate Hunter's request to play both sides. Patriots coach Mike Vrabel played a little bit of offense in his 14 NFL seasons as a player, enough to score 10 receiving touchdowns. But he doesn’t know if Travis Hunter can play both sides of the ball in the NFL. Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner, played 688 defensive snaps and 672 on offense last season and is adamant about remaining a two-way player in the NFL.

“We’ve never seen a player necessarily do it,” Vrabel said, via Chad Graff of TheAthletic.com. “I think there’s some things he can improve on by probably concentrating on just one position. But never going to put any restrictions on Travis or any player. We try as much as they can handle. We’re going to continue to put more on their plate. If he were on our football team and showed great skill at one position and started to really do well in his conditioning, and it didn’t fall and didn’t drop off, we would be...

Some teams see Hunter as a better wide receiver, but most have him as a cornerback to start. The Patriots have the fourth overall pick, so at least one prospect among Hunter, left tackle Will Campbell and edge rusher Abdul Carter is expected to be there for the taking. The most unique prospect in recent memory to come through the NFL Draft is Colorado's Travis Hunter. Why? Well, he just closed the book on a collegiate career where he not only played both offense and defense as a wide receiver and cornerback but did so at an elite level. Hunter won the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver and the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation's top defensive player.

Of course, he also won the Heisman Trophy. As he now looks towards the NFL, Hunter has relayed that he wants to play both ways at the next level. While that would be a rarity, it's not totally uncommon. In fact, one of the potential suitors for Hunter atop the draft made sure to remind him of that. During an appearance on the NFL Network's coverage of the NFL Scouting Combine, New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was jokingly asked if he feels any sort of disrespect with the coverage Hunter... Throughout his playing career, Vrabel, primarily a linebacker, did play on offense at times, lining up along the line as a tight end during goal-line packages.

In fact, Vrabel registered 10 receptions in his career during the regular season, all of which resulted in touchdowns. He also has two receptions (and two touchdowns) in the playoffs, one coming in Super Bowl XXXVIII and the other coming in Super Bowl XXXIX "I'm sure Travis doesn't even know," Vrabel smirked. "We were kind of jawing back and forth as he left last night and I said 'You're not the only one that played two ways, son. Like there were some other guys that did this too.' And he kind of like looked at me and we laughed." Mike Vrabel addresses whether or not the Patriots would play Travis Hunter both ways.

For the Patriots, it would be a good problem to have: Where do you play Travis Hunter? The dual-threat Heisman Trophy-winner from Colorado might be the best football player in the 2025 NFL Draft. If he's not, he's No. 2, behind Penn State pass-rusher Abdul Carter. Part of Hunter's value is tied to his versatility, where he brings next-level athleticism and ball skills to both the receiver and cornerback positions. But if Hunter somehow fell to the Patriots with the No.

4 overall pick in this year's draft, it doesn't sound as though Mike Vrabel would be all that keen on asking Hunter to do what he did at Colorado as an almost full-time player... Subscribe to NBC Sports Boston's podcast network to hear our Insiders bring you the latest insights on your favorite teams! The New England Patriots could be stoked to land Travis Hunter in the NFL Draft. If that were the case, head coach Mike Vrabel would absolutely love it. After the Patriots landed the No. 1 pick, they squandered the opportunity late in the season.

However, with the fourth overall pick, it could be possible that Hunter lands in New England. He elaborated more on how he could utilize Hunter if the team acquires him. “I don't know how anybody could say how hard it would be [to play both sides of the ball],” Vrabel said via Evan Lazar of Patriots.com. “We've never seen a player necessarily do it…Never going to put any restrictions on Travis or any player.” Hunter has been adamant about playing two sides of the ball. He showed that he is an elite defensive back and wide receiver.

He ended up leading the Big 12 in receptions and receiving touchdowns. Send this article to your social connections. Send this article to your social connections. Few NFL prospects have generated more hype in recent years than Travis Hunter. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner is expected to go off the board early in the 2025 NFL Draft due in large part to his unique profile as both a shutdown cornerback and dynamic wide... Hunter stuffed the stat sheet on both sides of the ball this past season with Colorado — winning the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the top collegiate wide receiver after reeling in 96 catches for...

Top NFL draft prospect Travis Hunter drew a massive crowd when he made it to his podium for his media session at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Thursday. But good luck trying to figure out if he already met with any teams. Hunter was tight-lipped on the matter, responding, “Next question,” whenever asked if he met with a specific team. However, New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel let it slip that Hunter did in fact meet with at least one team. And that would be the Patriots as Vrabel said on the NFL Network Combine broadcast that they met with Hunter on Wednesday night, per 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Alex Barth. It comes as no surprise that the Patriots, who hold the No.

4 overall pick in April’s draft, want to do their due diligence on Hunter. He very well could be in a Patriots uniform next season if he doesn’t go within the first three selections. Mike Vrabel is no stranger to the challenge of playing on both sides of the ball. During his NFL career, he was best known as an All-Pro edge rusher, but he also made a significant impact on offense as a tight end for the New England Patriots. His versatility helped him become one of the most unique and valuable players in Patriots history, finishing his career with 57 sacks and 10 touchdowns. Now as a head coach, Vrabel understands the demands of being a true two-way player, which makes his perspective on Travis Hunter especially valuable.

Hunter, one of the most talked-about prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft, is hoping to continue playing both receiver and cornerback in the pros, just as he did in college. In fact, Hunter took the college football world by storm, winning the Heisman Trophy thanks to his dominant play on both sides of the ball. He also captured the Biletnikoff Award for his production as a wide receiver, racking up 96 catches for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns. On defense, he secured the Bednarik Award after totaling four interceptions and 11 pass breakups. His remarkable versatility has split opinions among scouts, with some viewing him as a future lockdown cornerback and others believing he could be a top-tier wide receiver. At the NFL Annual Meetings, Vrabel discussed Hunter’s unique situation, saying that while it would be difficult for anyone to play both ways at the NFL level, he wouldn’t place limitations on a player...

Vrabel emphasized that improvement often comes from focusing on one position at first but remained open to the idea of using a player wherever they can help the team most. Like just about every other team in the NFL, the New England Patriots are interested in drafting Travis Hunter. But unlike 28 of the 32 other teams, the Patriots own the fourth overall pick, and Hunter falling to No. 4 is a possibility. While speaking with the media at the NFL Scouting Combine this week, new Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed the team met with Hunter, and he shared a fun snippet from their conversation. “We were kind of jawing back and forth as he left last night,” Vrabel said, via NFL Network.

“And I said: ‘You’re not the only one that played two-way. There were some other guys that did this, too.’ And he kind of looked at me and he laughed.” Vrabel was referencing, of course, his limited-yet-effective snaps on the offensive side of the ball during his playing days. Despite being a full-time linebacker, Vrabel had 10 career receptions, all for touchdowns. These weren’t just throwaway scores in meaningless games, either. Many of them came in high-stakes playoff games and Super Bowls.

TUCSON, ARIZONA – OCTOBER 19: Wide receiver Travis Hunter #12 of the Colorado Buffaloes during the NCAAF game at Arizona Stadium on October 19, 2024 in Tucson, Arizona. The Buffalos defeated the Wildcats 34-7. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) 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... 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... 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... <em><sup>Travis Hunter was a standout player both at wide receiver and cornerback for Colorado the last two years. </sup></em>

Mike Vrabel Doesn T Seem Sure That Travis Hunter Could Play Outkick

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