Daniel Jeremiah Details Cleveland Browns Potential Plan To Utilize Travis Hunter with The OBR

As the NFL Draft approaches, the Cleveland Browns have two blue-chip prospects in their crosshairs. One of those prospects is Travis Hunter. NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah believes the Browns are targeting Hunter, and the analyst detailed what the Browns' plan should be for Hunter with The OBR.

NFL.com lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah recently sat down for a Q&A conference call ahead of the upcoming NFL Draft. With only five days until the first round is set to kick off, it appears to be a two-player race for the Cleveland Browns with the second overall pick. Of the two blue-chip players available, Jeremiah believes the Browns are zeroing in on the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner, Travis Hunter.

Hunter is one of the more intriguing prospects to come out of college in our lifetime because of his unique skill set as an elite two-way player. We have seen college prospects who shined on one side of the ball and then dabbled on the other, only to ultimately focus on one position once they entered the NFL.

That is not Hunter's plan. Hunter fully intends to take his two-way highwire act into the NFL. The hybrid prospect recently reiterated his expectations to play on both sides of the ball to CBS Sports, stating, "Because I've been doing it my whole life, and I love being on the football field. I feel like I could dominate on each side of the ball".

The question then becomes, if Cleveland selects Hunter, what will their plan be? We posed that question to Daniel Jeremiah, and here is what the NFL.com analyst shared with The OBR.

OBR: What do you believe the Browns' plan for Hunter should be to maximize his skill set and the impact he's going to be able to make as a rookie?

Jeremiah: "I would start offense. You know, I'm kind of saying that through this process. It's different. First of all, we haven't seen something like this, someone who wants to do everything on both sides. I don't think I would do that initially. I think you have to major and minor."

"Historically, if you have a player that has value there, he's been a full-time defensive player with a package of plays on offense; that's just been the way it's always been. We haven't really seen it the other way around with the exception of maybe Troy Brown on a couple of snaps for the Patriots. But to me, I think he's more valuable to your team on offense right now. I think he's further developed on offense. I think he touches the ball more. He just makes more of an impact. I'm going to have him as a full-time starter at receiver.

We'll start there for a while, and then we can start maybe incorporating him into some defensive packages, if that's your dime, your nickel, whatever, but giving him an opportunity to get on the field and make some plays on some third downs defensively, and maybe that grows and evolves into more than that over time. That's where I would start with it. I think you can get really excited if you are a Browns fan and you start thinking about what Jerry Jeudy did last year, and now we get a chance to throw Travis Hunter out there on offense as a really, really talented, explosive player who is outstanding with the ball in his hands. That would make the Browns really, really fun to watch. I can tell you that."

Takeaway: As much as Hunter wants to be a two-way star at the next level, his focus and patience during this process will be the key to earning the right to have more put on his plate. First, Hunter must prove that he is well ahead of the learning curve as a rookie receiver before Cleveland gives him additional defensive responsibilities.

However, if Hunter demonstrates a mastery of the offensive playbook and the nuances of the receiver position early in his rookie campaign, he could earn the opportunity to see time on the defensive side of the ball.

Like Jeremiah said, "we haven't seen something like this, someone who wants to do everything on both sides". The NFL's last legitimate two-way starter was Chuck Bednarik, who played center and linebacker. 'Concrete Charlie' was a nine-time All-Pro linebacker and a five-time Pro Bowl Center. Bednarik retired in 1962.

To say Hunter is facing an uphill battle in his quest to be a two-way star in the NFL is a gross understatement. History and the odds would tell you that if Hunter reaches elite status on just one side of the ball, it would be a tremendous achievement. However, Hunter has been making history throughout his entire football career to this point. Who are we to say he should not try to continue to defy the odds?

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Daniel Jeremiah Details Cleveland Browns Potential Plan To Utilize Travis Hunter with The OBR

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