As much as it probably hurts to admit on the eve of a new season, the Denver Broncos have to recognize at least the possibility of 2024 turning into an abject failure.
For the Broncos, who have a projected over/under total of 5.5 wins, 2024 could be on the dumpster fire of all dumpster fires. One that could end with them earning the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft released on Sept. 4 has the Broncos taking All-American Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter with the No. 1 pick in 2025. It would be the first time having the No. 1 overall pick in franchise history.
From Bleacher Report: “Colorado’s two-way superstar Travis Hunter is college football’s best all-around player. The reigning Paul Hornung Award winner is an elite talent, either as a cornerback or wide receiver. During the the Buffaloes’ season debut against the North Dakota State Bison, Hunter played 124 total snaps, caught seven passes for 132 yards and three scores and allowed only 18 yards in coverage, per Pro Football Focus.”
The biggest question for Hunter is what position he’ll play in the NFL.
Hunter’s Skill Set Makes Him Generational Talent
No college player in recent memory can claim the skill set Hunter possesses. He’s a two-way player who seems like a throwback to a long-gone era of every-down players that defined the early days of not just college football, but the sport itself.
How Hunter got to this point is just as unique.
The No. 1 high school player in the nation in the Class of 2022, Hunter was a five-star recruit out of Collins Hill (Ga.) High School committed to play for FBS powerhouse Florida State before flipping his commitment to FCS Jackson State and head coach Deion Sanders in Dec. 2021.
It was the first time a five-star recruit had ever committed to play for an HBCU or FCS school. Hunter’s move was seismic.
“In what is probably the most shocking decision in the history of college football recruiting, Hunter has spurned Florida State and will play for FCS Jackson State and Deion Sanders at the next level,” wrote Sports Illustrated’s Dustin Lewis in 2021. “This is absolutely jaw-dropping.”
“This is the biggest signing day moment in the history of college football,” 247Sports recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong told CBS Sports’ David Cobb.
NFL Offseason May Have Sealed Hunter’s Fate
Playing full time on both offense and defense, Hunter was the SWAC Freshman of the Year as a true freshman at Jackson State in 2022 before following Sanders to Colorado.
As a sophomore in 2023, Hunter won the Paul Hornung Award and was a consensus AP All-American at the all-purpose position despite missing three games with a lacerated liver.
If Hunter is on the fence about which position he wants to play in the pros, the NFL’s 2024 offseason may have pushed him toward wide receiver.
From the start of the NFL free-agency signing period on March 13 through the final week of the preseason, 4 of the top 5 largest contracts in NFL history (outside of quarterbacks) were signed by wide receivers, led by Minnesota Vikings superstar Justin Jefferson’s 4-year, $140 million contract extension that included $110 million in guaranteed money.
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