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Travis Hunter has top 10ish potential at WR with a decent chance to break the top 5-8. I'm listing him at wr for a variety of reasons but there are three obvious reasons that can't be argued.
A)The NEP have been one of the worst teams in recent memory when it comes to drafting and developing wrs. Our wr corp is beyond lacking even with Diggs. Hunter is an immediate starter at arguably our biggest need.
B)Hunter's best trait is probably his ball skills. Where can you maximize those skills the most? At wr where he'll see 120-150 targets or cb where he'll see maybe 25 of those opportunities to showcase those skills. We have a legit top 3 CB in Gonzo and I've always been big Davis and MJJ fans. I don't see a real debate where he's most valuable here, for us.
C)Lastly and most importantly. We have a QB that's ready to roll NOW. Not next year, possibly by week 10. We have a potential top 10ish QB that is ready NOW. We don't need to go into details on the importance of the wr position (easily 2nd or 3rd most important position on the field in 2025) and how much they can help young QBs do we??
Hunter is an immediate starter at Z, slot with the ability to be a "speed" X like a Hill, by the end of his rookie deal. Hunter played the majority of his snaps outside, most at X I believe. To keep things as simple as possible considering he spent more time in db meetings than wr ones.
He has tremendous instincts for the position and how to attack defensive tendencies. Whether it's zone or man or some variation. It really doesn't matter. He's simply too quick and has plus plus processing skills for zone. Way too many people are concerned about beating press/man when it comes to college wr prospects. Most NFL defenses play zone on 2/3 downs. His tempo, spatial awareness and quicks are zone killers. Not to mention his instincts and processing. Hunter is very, very smart and more importantly he thinks quick in the moment. He'll relocate to different spaces in zone, again mind works so quick he knows where the soft spots are and where the help is. He displays plus route stems and an understanding of how to attack leverage, angles against man. His footwork is very efficient and effective. He's an extremely tough cover 1v1 but too many focus on man imo. It's important but I think how a wr wins against zone coverage is extremely underrated. You watch his movements and he's rarely going 100mph. Just a great feel for when to use his tempo. Hunter's hands and tracking ability are out of this world. He's the best 50/50 ball wr in the draft and has outstanding tracking abilities. Can catch, pluck the ball through contact as we've all seen him do to bail out Sanders. Ball skills are top tier. One of the best at the catch point/high pointing the ball over the last 5 years. When he was allowed to run actual routes he displayed very efficient footwork, nuance, suddenness and separation. They did him no favors when it comes to rr but he's a very good. He'll block his butt off. Has plenty of yac to his game. Can win at all three levels. Have to say it again but his hand-eye coordination is special. Plus agility and general awareness on the field. Has to work on getting in/out of his breaks more quickly and more efficiently. He'll round out a lot of stuff. Doesn't have elite speed but covers a lot of that up with his tempo, pacing and smarts.
I could go on but there's a word limit. Last thing I'll say is kinda obvious. He's a gamer, he's a dude. It's one thing to say something or think something. It's another to play 1500 snaps in Colorado half the time. Hunter is a beast that doesn't take plays off, he's physical and all about the team. Hes made outstanding strides at both cb and wr. That speaks volumes about the young man. He would be wr1 here by years end (with or without Diggs) and for years to come.
He's not a prototype wr Vrabel and the front office have genuinely gone for. I know he's got tremendous cb skills but I don't see a world where he's as valuable at cb compared to wr for us. And I don't believe he'll be a two-way player for long. He'll absolutely play both sides early on but after a year or two I see him at one spot. I would play him at WR and have him play 20-25 snaps a game at cb. The opposite of what a lot of people are saying. Specifically on 1st & 2nd down when teams are playing zone. That's where he's at his best at cb. Using his eyes, instincts and ball skills. I'd much rather have a guy with a 95/1300/8 with 2-5 INTS. As opposed to a CB with 4-8 INTS and like 600-700 yards at wr.
Tetairoa McMillan was the number 1 prospect I was watching for us last year. I mentioned a certain prospect I was looking at and it was Tet more than anyone else for obvious reasons (give Maye a running partner)
He still has some maturity issues which makes him a tough pick for Vrabel (or does it, Mike will accept a little immaturity if you're producing) but you can't ignore his size, skillset and what he could do for us right now. Again not next year or by week 12, game 1 in Sept 2025, he'll be an impact player.
Highly productive prospect with almost 2800 yards, 20 TD and 16 per rec over the last two years. Incredible size at 6'4/215-220 (i believe he'll be around 215ish as a pro) with superb body control and plus speed (4.4-4.5 ish) for someone his size. He also hit just under 21mph when he was tracked. Very comfortable adjusting at underneath routes in terms of spacing, timing and putting himself in the best position to take off after the catch. Is also pre-scanning the field, uses his stride length and big body to explode once he catches the ball. Looks like an X and possibly could be a good one but is a natural big slot/Z. Has to clean up his los work, only uses a few releases but is surprisingly good against press if you watched him. He needs a mentor in that sense. I think a guy like Diggs would be great to help him clean up some stuff there. He can play a little of each year 1 depending on the matchup. Dominant in the air, at the catch point and using his body to contort or shield off defenders. Volleyball background is clearly evident from 4-step timing he uses on his jumps. Plus agility and body control in the air, on the ground. Plus catch radius. Much better working horizontal as opposed to vertical as of now but hes super comfortable working the deep intermediate areas for 15-25 chunk plays. Not a classic yac guy at all but he can make it happen with underneath routes. His play near the boundary needs work in terms of "getting there" like his route stems when working off the line but once he's there. He'll make it happen. Route tree is actually really good. Very comfortable, more comfortable in zone which again is more important than people realize considering all the zone NFL defenses play. I don't think he's quite as cerebral as Hunter but he's good at finding the soft spots on different levels of zone. He's very good against press, doubled as much if not more than any other college wr, can win at all 3 levels, produced right away as a FO and only got better and gives you an immediate alpha on the field. He's got a high floor to begin with. You clean up his los work - some stem work pertaining to the boundary his efficiency there etc. I his ceiling is a lot higher. So much has been written about McMillan but I believe he's got top 10-15 potential and could be a WR1.
Tre Harris is someone I would consider with our second pick even if we got Hunter (unlikely) or Tet. Diggs will be 32 coming off an acl by years end. Obviously hoping for the best you simply can't depend on only him going forward with the picks and money we have. I love his ability again man/press. He's certainly not a finished product but he's got a variety of releases, is physical, uses timing, shoulder dips and a lot of other good stuff to win. He understands what's in front of him and has a bag he can reach in for different occasions. Sets up his routes with plus stems that attack leverage, blind spots and angles. Uses head/shoulder fakes, tempo and stride length to his advantage. Definitely has a good amount of nuance to his game. Constantly got better at tracking, catch point, catching through contact and adjusting in air. Plus hands, late hands, strong hands. Played in a typical hs/college offense that limited routes, wrs to one side and had a QB that wasn't always the most calm under pressure. He got a lot of potential and room for improvement when it comes to routes he can and should be running. He's a dude that isn't going to be impeded without real force and physicality. Will block his butt off and and brings the alpha attitude you want. Smart guy that puts thought into what's in front of him pre/post snap and how to make it easy on himself. A lot of productivity against poor teams but stepped it up against the best comp as well when he had to. He's old and been injured. Has to improve coming out his breaks and clean up his los footwork, too inefficient at times. Play speed isn't always where it should be vs zone/mof.
I think he's going to be a very good in the Z/X role. Opposite a guy like Diggs or McMillan tbh. I think he's a more natural X but can play anywhere outside and would thrive next to a good flanker/slot. Lets not forget if Harris didn't get miss games (still had over 1K yards) he would have a historic season under his belt and absolutely would be talked about going early round 1.
https://x.com/AustinAbbottFF/status/1902879474191901023?t=El8ugAB5Ud3DR82PmMLaaA&s=19
https://x.com/NoFlagsFilm/status/1902360818152268285?t=HYlKgzky3hw3yOKWechgNg&s=19
https://x.com/tkyles39/status/1907104161159577894?t=1YacwJZPIHl3oaj3gBcUCA&s=19
https://x.com/tkyles39/status/1907457997271380207?t=A9kkIp3hZ3Ru-Mw88B6kTg&s=19
https://x.com/tkyles39/status/1907101993321054369?t=aJHgZ5haN_SWrFmU0rpAOg&s=19
Matthew Golden is a Texas native who was a quite the hs baller (3242 YDS /32 TD) with a pretty serious track & field background (10.93 / 100M, 21.85 long jump).
One of if not my favorite thing about Golden is his rr ability, stems setting up his routes, top of route, fakes etc but he needs to run everything fast! He doesnt always use that speed at top gear or even close to it and at times is too casual running his routes. When he does, he uses tempo, pacing and has different gears to switch it up on defenders but he has to run all routes at top speed. Everyone knows he's not a real 4.29 guy on the field (or even timed) but hes got to be more consistent with selling his routes. Like he's fast on the field but it doesn't show up to that degree in terms of play speed or tracking speed (never broke 20mph in game??) or just looking at other wrs running the same routes. I don't see a guy that moves much faster than say Hunter on the field for example. And hes not comparable to NFL guys like Hill, Williams etc in terms of play speed. Again he's very fast though. It's not like he's Thornton or Josh Boyce. Fast guys who can't utilize that speed to save their lives once you put pads on. I love guys that run every route with a certain fierceness and he does for the most part, just not enough. He runs a full route tree and for the most part runs everything fast, crisp and is pretty clean out his breaks. Stems are on point but he's very good, better at the top of his routes. This is where he kind of separates from the pack imo. Plus with his stem(s) and top of the route but needs to really run everything a bit more focused and controlled. Hes got a lot of potential to be a plus rr on Sundays with more effort, consistency and experience. Accelerates and decelerates with little to no wasted movements. Pretty decent release package. Mostly using his quicks with hesi/stutter moves as opposed to technique but thats something he can improve considering his floor there. Good catch radius for his size. Has to improve his hands and playing through physical corners though. Has to play faster initially off the los. Plus cod skills - hes agile and smooth in his movements. Good body control. Improved in several key areas including drops (still very much a problem but I care about drops the least in almost all cases if I'm being honest) , tracking and high pointing the ball. He needs to get a little tougher catching through contact for sure but he's improved. Physicality gives him issues off the line and catch point. He can't block for ****. His effort is usually pretty good but he's not a killer by any means. He has to seriously improve there. If you can't block it limits so much in terms of usage, play calling and what type of team goes for you. Like you're not to see significant reps in the slot where you can really do damage with his speed. Nobody has anything bad to say about him from coaches to players and everyone in-between. High character guy. Can be useful on ST. Will be a 22 yo rookie with terrible production in college. Isn't going to make a lot of guys miss with athleticism. He couldn't beat out or out-produce guys that will never play on Sundays. He's a huge risk when it comes to analytics and that stuff. Which does matter to an extent. He's not a "one hit wonder" he's a "6-8 game wonder" if we're being honest. That said he did show up in some big games. You're betting a lot of how you feel about him off a few games which is scary for WR in general and where he'll likely go. Ideal Z to complement a physical X with the ability to play more as he gets stronger and learns how to sustain blocks.
A)The NEP have been one of the worst teams in recent memory when it comes to drafting and developing wrs. Our wr corp is beyond lacking even with Diggs. Hunter is an immediate starter at arguably our biggest need.
B)Hunter's best trait is probably his ball skills. Where can you maximize those skills the most? At wr where he'll see 120-150 targets or cb where he'll see maybe 25 of those opportunities to showcase those skills. We have a legit top 3 CB in Gonzo and I've always been big Davis and MJJ fans. I don't see a real debate where he's most valuable here, for us.
C)Lastly and most importantly. We have a QB that's ready to roll NOW. Not next year, possibly by week 10. We have a potential top 10ish QB that is ready NOW. We don't need to go into details on the importance of the wr position (easily 2nd or 3rd most important position on the field in 2025) and how much they can help young QBs do we??
Hunter is an immediate starter at Z, slot with the ability to be a "speed" X like a Hill, by the end of his rookie deal. Hunter played the majority of his snaps outside, most at X I believe. To keep things as simple as possible considering he spent more time in db meetings than wr ones.
He has tremendous instincts for the position and how to attack defensive tendencies. Whether it's zone or man or some variation. It really doesn't matter. He's simply too quick and has plus plus processing skills for zone. Way too many people are concerned about beating press/man when it comes to college wr prospects. Most NFL defenses play zone on 2/3 downs. His tempo, spatial awareness and quicks are zone killers. Not to mention his instincts and processing. Hunter is very, very smart and more importantly he thinks quick in the moment. He'll relocate to different spaces in zone, again mind works so quick he knows where the soft spots are and where the help is. He displays plus route stems and an understanding of how to attack leverage, angles against man. His footwork is very efficient and effective. He's an extremely tough cover 1v1 but too many focus on man imo. It's important but I think how a wr wins against zone coverage is extremely underrated. You watch his movements and he's rarely going 100mph. Just a great feel for when to use his tempo. Hunter's hands and tracking ability are out of this world. He's the best 50/50 ball wr in the draft and has outstanding tracking abilities. Can catch, pluck the ball through contact as we've all seen him do to bail out Sanders. Ball skills are top tier. One of the best at the catch point/high pointing the ball over the last 5 years. When he was allowed to run actual routes he displayed very efficient footwork, nuance, suddenness and separation. They did him no favors when it comes to rr but he's a very good. He'll block his butt off. Has plenty of yac to his game. Can win at all three levels. Have to say it again but his hand-eye coordination is special. Plus agility and general awareness on the field. Has to work on getting in/out of his breaks more quickly and more efficiently. He'll round out a lot of stuff. Doesn't have elite speed but covers a lot of that up with his tempo, pacing and smarts.
I could go on but there's a word limit. Last thing I'll say is kinda obvious. He's a gamer, he's a dude. It's one thing to say something or think something. It's another to play 1500 snaps in Colorado half the time. Hunter is a beast that doesn't take plays off, he's physical and all about the team. Hes made outstanding strides at both cb and wr. That speaks volumes about the young man. He would be wr1 here by years end (with or without Diggs) and for years to come.
He's not a prototype wr Vrabel and the front office have genuinely gone for. I know he's got tremendous cb skills but I don't see a world where he's as valuable at cb compared to wr for us. And I don't believe he'll be a two-way player for long. He'll absolutely play both sides early on but after a year or two I see him at one spot. I would play him at WR and have him play 20-25 snaps a game at cb. The opposite of what a lot of people are saying. Specifically on 1st & 2nd down when teams are playing zone. That's where he's at his best at cb. Using his eyes, instincts and ball skills. I'd much rather have a guy with a 95/1300/8 with 2-5 INTS. As opposed to a CB with 4-8 INTS and like 600-700 yards at wr.
Tetairoa McMillan was the number 1 prospect I was watching for us last year. I mentioned a certain prospect I was looking at and it was Tet more than anyone else for obvious reasons (give Maye a running partner)
He still has some maturity issues which makes him a tough pick for Vrabel (or does it, Mike will accept a little immaturity if you're producing) but you can't ignore his size, skillset and what he could do for us right now. Again not next year or by week 12, game 1 in Sept 2025, he'll be an impact player.
Highly productive prospect with almost 2800 yards, 20 TD and 16 per rec over the last two years. Incredible size at 6'4/215-220 (i believe he'll be around 215ish as a pro) with superb body control and plus speed (4.4-4.5 ish) for someone his size. He also hit just under 21mph when he was tracked. Very comfortable adjusting at underneath routes in terms of spacing, timing and putting himself in the best position to take off after the catch. Is also pre-scanning the field, uses his stride length and big body to explode once he catches the ball. Looks like an X and possibly could be a good one but is a natural big slot/Z. Has to clean up his los work, only uses a few releases but is surprisingly good against press if you watched him. He needs a mentor in that sense. I think a guy like Diggs would be great to help him clean up some stuff there. He can play a little of each year 1 depending on the matchup. Dominant in the air, at the catch point and using his body to contort or shield off defenders. Volleyball background is clearly evident from 4-step timing he uses on his jumps. Plus agility and body control in the air, on the ground. Plus catch radius. Much better working horizontal as opposed to vertical as of now but hes super comfortable working the deep intermediate areas for 15-25 chunk plays. Not a classic yac guy at all but he can make it happen with underneath routes. His play near the boundary needs work in terms of "getting there" like his route stems when working off the line but once he's there. He'll make it happen. Route tree is actually really good. Very comfortable, more comfortable in zone which again is more important than people realize considering all the zone NFL defenses play. I don't think he's quite as cerebral as Hunter but he's good at finding the soft spots on different levels of zone. He's very good against press, doubled as much if not more than any other college wr, can win at all 3 levels, produced right away as a FO and only got better and gives you an immediate alpha on the field. He's got a high floor to begin with. You clean up his los work - some stem work pertaining to the boundary his efficiency there etc. I his ceiling is a lot higher. So much has been written about McMillan but I believe he's got top 10-15 potential and could be a WR1.
Tre Harris is someone I would consider with our second pick even if we got Hunter (unlikely) or Tet. Diggs will be 32 coming off an acl by years end. Obviously hoping for the best you simply can't depend on only him going forward with the picks and money we have. I love his ability again man/press. He's certainly not a finished product but he's got a variety of releases, is physical, uses timing, shoulder dips and a lot of other good stuff to win. He understands what's in front of him and has a bag he can reach in for different occasions. Sets up his routes with plus stems that attack leverage, blind spots and angles. Uses head/shoulder fakes, tempo and stride length to his advantage. Definitely has a good amount of nuance to his game. Constantly got better at tracking, catch point, catching through contact and adjusting in air. Plus hands, late hands, strong hands. Played in a typical hs/college offense that limited routes, wrs to one side and had a QB that wasn't always the most calm under pressure. He got a lot of potential and room for improvement when it comes to routes he can and should be running. He's a dude that isn't going to be impeded without real force and physicality. Will block his butt off and and brings the alpha attitude you want. Smart guy that puts thought into what's in front of him pre/post snap and how to make it easy on himself. A lot of productivity against poor teams but stepped it up against the best comp as well when he had to. He's old and been injured. Has to improve coming out his breaks and clean up his los footwork, too inefficient at times. Play speed isn't always where it should be vs zone/mof.
I think he's going to be a very good in the Z/X role. Opposite a guy like Diggs or McMillan tbh. I think he's a more natural X but can play anywhere outside and would thrive next to a good flanker/slot. Lets not forget if Harris didn't get miss games (still had over 1K yards) he would have a historic season under his belt and absolutely would be talked about going early round 1.
https://x.com/AustinAbbottFF/status/1902879474191901023?t=El8ugAB5Ud3DR82PmMLaaA&s=19
https://x.com/NoFlagsFilm/status/1902360818152268285?t=HYlKgzky3hw3yOKWechgNg&s=19
https://x.com/tkyles39/status/1907104161159577894?t=1YacwJZPIHl3oaj3gBcUCA&s=19
https://x.com/tkyles39/status/1907457997271380207?t=A9kkIp3hZ3Ru-Mw88B6kTg&s=19
https://x.com/tkyles39/status/1907101993321054369?t=aJHgZ5haN_SWrFmU0rpAOg&s=19
Matthew Golden is a Texas native who was a quite the hs baller (3242 YDS /32 TD) with a pretty serious track & field background (10.93 / 100M, 21.85 long jump).
One of if not my favorite thing about Golden is his rr ability, stems setting up his routes, top of route, fakes etc but he needs to run everything fast! He doesnt always use that speed at top gear or even close to it and at times is too casual running his routes. When he does, he uses tempo, pacing and has different gears to switch it up on defenders but he has to run all routes at top speed. Everyone knows he's not a real 4.29 guy on the field (or even timed) but hes got to be more consistent with selling his routes. Like he's fast on the field but it doesn't show up to that degree in terms of play speed or tracking speed (never broke 20mph in game??) or just looking at other wrs running the same routes. I don't see a guy that moves much faster than say Hunter on the field for example. And hes not comparable to NFL guys like Hill, Williams etc in terms of play speed. Again he's very fast though. It's not like he's Thornton or Josh Boyce. Fast guys who can't utilize that speed to save their lives once you put pads on. I love guys that run every route with a certain fierceness and he does for the most part, just not enough. He runs a full route tree and for the most part runs everything fast, crisp and is pretty clean out his breaks. Stems are on point but he's very good, better at the top of his routes. This is where he kind of separates from the pack imo. Plus with his stem(s) and top of the route but needs to really run everything a bit more focused and controlled. Hes got a lot of potential to be a plus rr on Sundays with more effort, consistency and experience. Accelerates and decelerates with little to no wasted movements. Pretty decent release package. Mostly using his quicks with hesi/stutter moves as opposed to technique but thats something he can improve considering his floor there. Good catch radius for his size. Has to improve his hands and playing through physical corners though. Has to play faster initially off the los. Plus cod skills - hes agile and smooth in his movements. Good body control. Improved in several key areas including drops (still very much a problem but I care about drops the least in almost all cases if I'm being honest) , tracking and high pointing the ball. He needs to get a little tougher catching through contact for sure but he's improved. Physicality gives him issues off the line and catch point. He can't block for ****. His effort is usually pretty good but he's not a killer by any means. He has to seriously improve there. If you can't block it limits so much in terms of usage, play calling and what type of team goes for you. Like you're not to see significant reps in the slot where you can really do damage with his speed. Nobody has anything bad to say about him from coaches to players and everyone in-between. High character guy. Can be useful on ST. Will be a 22 yo rookie with terrible production in college. Isn't going to make a lot of guys miss with athleticism. He couldn't beat out or out-produce guys that will never play on Sundays. He's a huge risk when it comes to analytics and that stuff. Which does matter to an extent. He's not a "one hit wonder" he's a "6-8 game wonder" if we're being honest. That said he did show up in some big games. You're betting a lot of how you feel about him off a few games which is scary for WR in general and where he'll likely go. Ideal Z to complement a physical X with the ability to play more as he gets stronger and learns how to sustain blocks.
