CLEVELAND, Ohio — The NFL hasn’t seen a true two-way player in generations, but that could change if the Browns select Colorado’s Travis Hunter with the second overall pick in the upcoming draft. The possibility of this generational talent playing both ways had Orange and Brown Talk podcast hosts analyzing how such an unprecedented move could transform the Browns’ roster.
The conversation ignited around Browns GM Andrew Berry’s comments at the NFL Combine, which have shifted the narrative around Hunter’s potential NFL position.
“But it felt like prior to the NFL Combine, all the momentum was about what kind of corner Travis Hunter is. But then as soon as Andrew Berry started talking about how he viewed Travis Hunter as a receiver, it felt like more people kind of caught on to that bandwagon that this guy’s a really good receiver,” said Tim Bielik on the podcast.
Is this genuine interest or a brilliant smokescreen?
The podcast crew didn’t just speculate — they dove deep into the practicalities of how a two-way player would actually function in the NFL. Film expert Lance Reisland offered a pragmatic perspective on Hunter’s potential role, suggesting a “one and a half way” approach might be most realistic.
“For me, when I look at Travis Hunter, I see an elite corner and I think we’ll know I think he’s great receiver, too,” Reisland explained. “He’s a unicorn and he’s an outlier. So where do you want to get him rest? And I think you can get him rest on offense because I think, like Tim said, he’s a touch guy.”
This “touch guy” concept emerged as a fascinating framework for how the Browns might deploy Hunter — not teaching him an entire offensive system, but designing specific packages to get the ball in his hands 10-12 times per game while he primarily focuses on cornerback.
The financial implications add another compelling layer to the Hunter debate. As Tim Bielik pointed out, “Other than quarterback, almost nothing is more valuable than an elite receiver on a rookie contract because we see what those receivers are getting paid, 35, 40 million dollars.” In a league where top receivers now command $30-plus million annually, having an elite talent on a rookie deal represents massive value — if the Browns believe Hunter can truly excel there.
But the most intriguing aspect might be Hunter’s own relentless determination. The podcast highlighted his unprecedented career moves — from flipping his commitment from Florida State to Jackson State, following Deion Sanders to Colorado, and now potentially becoming the first non-quarterback drafted in April. His history suggests a player who won’t accept conventional limitations.
“I just feel like as much as we want to pigeonhole Travis Hunter into being, OK, he’s only going to be a receiver, he’s going to be only a corner or you want to give him a certain percentage of snaps … I feel like of anybody that could, that you could ever ask to do this kind of thing, Travis Hunter might be that one guy because he just seems so determined to do it and he’s just going to be like, I’ll show you,” Bielik observed.
The Hunter conversation represents everything that makes draft season fascinating — debating not just which player a team might select, but how that player could fundamentally transform what’s possible in the NFL. As the podcast makes clear, selecting Hunter wouldn’t just mean adding another cornerback or another receiver; it would be an organizational commitment to innovation.
Want to hear the full debate about Hunter’s potential fit with the Browns, including detailed analysis of how his two-way ability could work at the NFL level? Listen to the complete Orange and Brown Talk podcast episode for even more insights from the crew on this potential draft-day decision.
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Note: Artificial intelligence was used to help generate this story from the Cleveland Orange and Brown Talk Podcast by cleveland.com. Visitors to cleveland.com have asked for more text stories based on website podcast discussions.
