INDIANAPOLIS - There have been players in the past who dabbled with playing both offense and defense in the NFL over the years but there hasn't been a full-time two-way player since Chuck Bednarik in the '50s.
Colorado's Travis Hunter wants to change that. And he's adamant about doing so.
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner was a standout at both wide receiver and cornerback for the Buffalos the past two seasons and he would like the opportunity to do the same thing at the NFL level.
"Nobody has done it but I feel like I have put my body through a lot," Hunter said Thursday here at the NFL Scouting Combine. "I do a lot of treatment. People don't get to see that part. What I do for my body to make sure I'm 100 percent each game. I feel like nobody has done it. I know I can do it. I did it at the college level where you really get breaks. There are a lot more breaks in the NFL."
With cornerback Donte Jackson headed to free agency March 12 when the new league year begins, the Steelers could be interested in acquiring a top-notch cornerback to play opposite Joey Porter Jr.
But, general manager Omar Khan said earlier this week the Steelers also still haven't closed the door on Jackson returning.
"We've had a conversation with Donte. It was a good experience with Donte," Khan said. "He got the ball back for us a lot. If I'm not mistaken, I think it was seven times between interceptions and fumble recoveries. But, he's a free agent, so all options are on the table."
Hunter, however, will probably be long gone by the time the Steelers make their first pick in the draft with the 21st selection.
Hunter had 96 receptions for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns as a wide receiver at Colorado in 2024. He also had 36 tackles with four interceptions and 11 pass breakups as a cornerback.
Some teams might view him as a better defensive back, while others might lean toward him being a better wide receiver.
Hunter, however, just wants to be viewed as a football player who can do both.
"I did some meetings at receiver, did some meetings at DB, so it's still up in the air," Hunter said of the multiple meetings he has had with teams here at the Combine.
Thing is, he might be the best player in this draft at both positions, something that could make him a top-5 pick in April.
It also might make him the first-overall pick.
"I've got my own unique case that I play both sides of the ball," Hunter said of his case for being the top pick. "Not that many people in the NFL have done it."
But Hunter is hardly the only cornerback or wide receiver who will be selected in the first round of this draft.
In fact, Michigan's Will Johnson isn't ready to cede being the top cornerback available in this draft.
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"A lot of respect to him," Johnson said of Hunter. "He won the Heisman, did a lot of great things, but I know I'm the best corner in this draft. I'm going to just wait until I get on the field and let my play do the talking."
They could have gotten the opportunity to start to settle that argument Friday, as defensive backs take the field for their on-field workouts here at Lucas Oil Stadium. But neither Hunter nor Johnson will work out with the other defensive backs, choosing instead to wait until their respective pro days to do so.
In Johnson's case, it's because he's still recovering from a turf toe injury that cut his season short.
"I physically couldn't cut, couldn't play, couldn't be out there,"Johnson said. "I did everything I could every day to try to get back. I was there with my teammates in meetings and at practice trying to still be very involved, but just never physically could play."
