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Travis Hunter's NFL Draft Stock on Rise After Surprise at Combine

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nathan Dougherty | Last updated Feb 28, 2025 4:40 PM ET

Travis Hunter was seen as a potential Top 5 NFL draft pick after completing a record-setting final season at Colorado, and the Heisman Trophy winner's draft stock could be climbing even higher after the combine.

Though Hunter decided to skip workouts at the combine, opting instead to work out at Colorado's pro day, he did take physical measurements that included at least one surprise. The measurements were released through NFL's Next Gen Stats and showed that Hunter came in at 188 pounds -- above what many insiders had predicted the slight-framed defensive back and wide receiver could reach.

Reporter Albert Breer noted that Hunter's measurements could ease some fears about his durability in the NFL -- especially when it comes to playing on both sides of the ball, as he did at Colorado.

"There were concerns he might be in the 170s. So checking in at 188, and over 6-foot, is a nice win for him," Breer shared in a post on X. "Indicates he could be sturdy enough to take on a big workload, and potentially play both ways."

Hunter told reporters at the combine that he would like to play both offense and defense next season, so his weight could help convince teams to allow him to play both ways.

Bleacher Report's Andrew Peters added that Hunter's measurements put him in position to climb up the NFL draft board as long as he performs well at Colorado's pro day.

"It feels like a guarantee that Hunter will be one of the first few players off the board, but a strong Pro Day next month will give him an even better chance of getting drafted early," Peters wrote.

Hunter has been nailing the other aspects of his pre-draft preparations, with The Athletic's Dianna Russini reporting that he was "blowing [teams] away" in his interviews.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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