The 2025 NFL Draft is less than a month away, and every year there are surprising trades on opening night that force teams to change course with their draft boards. Could the Dallas Cowboys be one of the teams that shock the NFL world by trading up for a blue chip player?
On a podcast, “Scoop City,” The Athletic reported that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones “really likes Travis Hunter.” The two-way player out of Colorado is projected to be selected with one of the first four picks in the draft, meaning if Dallas really wants him, it would have to give up a package of picks to bring him to Arlington.
What would it take to trade up into the top four for Hunter? As you would imagine, it’s very expensive. According to R.J. White, the managing editor of betting and fantasy content at SportsLine, if the Cowboys wanted to swing a trade with the Cleveland Browns at No. 2 overall, it would include a first-round swap (No. 2 for No. 12 overall), two future first-round picks and a second-round pick this year. The New York Giants at No. 3 overall likely wouldn’t help their rivals in a trade up the board, but what about Mike Vrabel’s New England Patriots at No. 4? White says that selection could possibly be had for a first- and second-round pick next year and a sixth-round pick this year along with the No. 12 overall pick. Or, the Cowboys could possibly give up their first three picks in this draft and a future second-round pick.
The potential Hunter-Cowboys marriage makes sense in more ways than one. The cornerback/wide receiver played for former Cowboy Deion Sanders, who was the closest thing to a two-way NFL player we’ve seen since the merger. In 1996, Sanders caught 36 passes for a career-high 475 yards and a touchdown while also recording 33 tackles and two interceptions on defense for Dallas. The Cowboys need both a cornerback and wide receiver, so maybe it’s in Dallas where Hunter has the best chance to truly play on both sides of the ball.
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Hunter was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and won the Fred Biletnikoff Award last season. While he’s not expected to be selected No. 1 overall, Hunter is CBS Sports’ No. 1 prospect in this entire class. He logged 713 snaps on offense and 748 snaps on defense for the Buffaloes last season. It was the most total snaps recorded (1,484) by any player in a single season since at least 2017. Hunter caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns, while recording 36 total tackles, 11 passes defended and four interceptions on the defensive side of the ball.
Hunter is one of the most unique prospects we’ve ever seen. It’s tough not to be intrigued by him.
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