“Unprecedented Ambition: Why Mike Vrabel Believes Travis Hunter is Redefining the Game”

The debate around two-way players in the NFL is heating up, with fresh faces like Travis Hunter leading the charge. If you haven’t caught wind, Hunter, who snagged the 2024 Heisman Trophy, dazzled last season, racking up 688 snaps on defense and 672 on offense. It’s a bold assertion that he’s not just capable but insistent on embracing both roles at the professional level. However, the question on everyone’s lips—and notably voiced by Patriots coach Mike Vrabel—is: can he really pull it off? With Vrabel himself having made waves on offense during his own 14-season playing career, he acknowledges the rarity of players who can seamlessly transition between the two sides of the ball. As the NFL gears up for the draft, Hunter stands as a tantalizing prospect, poised to either become a standout wide receiver or a commanding cornerback—depending on who you ask. The New England Patriots, armed with the fourth overall pick, are keeping a keen eye on him alongside other promising talents. So, can the football world usher in a new era of dual-threat athletes? It’s time to delve into what makes Hunter such an intriguing case and whether he can shatter the long-held notion that positions are strictly separated in the modern game. For a deeper look, LEARN MORE.

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. Some teams see Hunter as a better wide receiver, but most have him as a cornerback to start.Hall of Famer Chuck Bednarik was the last true two-way player in the NFL, and he finished his career in 1962. Deion Sanders, Hunter’s coach at Colorado, was a returner in addition to his full-time role as a cornerback and played a little wide receiver.“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 open to playing everybody we had at more than one position.”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.

In 1996 with the Cowboys, Sanders caught 36 passes for 475 yards and a touchdown in addition to earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors at corner.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.