With the NFL Draft rapidly approaching, just about everyone - analysts, fans, and fanalysts alike - has an opinion on who the Cleveland Browns should draft second overall. The most recent player that many have hyper-focused on is Colorado's Travis Hunter.
On paper, someone with the accolades and highlight reels of Hunter should be an easy selection for the Browns at 2. But that is the problem: the concept of "on paper" and scouting done via highlight reels never tell the full story.
Most in support of Cleveland taking Hunter at 2 will be quick to put together a list of pros about what he can do on the field and note their desire for touchdowns on offense, while also mentioning what he accomplished playing in the leftover remains of the Big 12 Conference. There's just one problem for those who evaluate players in this manner: they're doing it backwards.
Why Hunter needs to be evaluated differently for fit with Browns at 2
If given enough time, anyone can create a list of pros long enough that can swing the opinion of even the most skeptical individuals. This process is wrong. When evaluating what a player can bring to the table, it is best to start with the cons.
By creating a list of negatives first, it allows the evaluator to see what a player must overcome to be productive and whether or not it is even possible for someone to overcome those issues. And when it comes to Hunter, there are plenty of entries in the cons column.
Before even diving into what position it would be best for Hunter to play in the NFL, it should be pointed out that at 6'0" tall and 188 pounds, he lacks the ideal size for both cornerback and wide receiver. His lack of size allowed him to get by at Colorado, as he rarely defended players expected to play at the next level and had a hard time dealing with press coverage as a receiver.
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NFL receivers are only going to be bigger, faster and stronger, while defenders will continue to create problems for him on offense by jamming him repeatedly.
As a route runner, Hunter lacks refinement, but he was able to get away with this due to the level of competition faced. Unpolished routes in the NFL will severely limit his effectiveness on offense, outside of gadget plays and screen passes.
Those who prefer Hunter for his offensive abilities may want to rethink their thought process, as his impact on that side of the ball could be far more limited than they could imagine.
All of this comes before even mentioning that pretty much every other franchise views Hunter as a defender first, while Cleveland thinks the opposite. This is pretty telling, considering the current version of the Browns' front office has proven awful at identifying talent on their own, particularly in the draft.
Cleveland's draft history under this current regime is littered with misses and players over-drafted for their talent level while repeatedly passing on players who would have been impact players from day one.
In fact, the only times this regime has been successful at bringing someone in is by trading for a player on a contract that is about to expire and paying them a salary their former team could not justify, a tactic that receives far too much praise than it deserves.
In all actuality, the learning curve at the NFL level is going to be far steeper than most think for Hunter. Playing both sides in college is impressive, and credit where credit is due, but doing so effectively stunted his growth as a defender and receiver.
This puts him much further behind in his development at either position, and it could very well take a long time for him to get to where they are now. By the time that happens, they would most likely be further along in their respective developments, with Hunter having to continue to play catch up.
There are far too many red flags for someone of his size, and who was rarely challenged by NFL-caliber players, if ever, to select with the second overall pick. The Browns simply cannot afford to miss on what would be their first first-round draft selection since the Deshaun Watson trade, and Hunter presents far too much risk for them to reasonably consider.
Going in just about any other direction (quarterback excluded) at two would be a far better decision for the immediate and long-term future of the Browns.
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