Jets Projected To Make Blockbuster Trade With Giants For Two-Way Star Travis Hunter

Should the Jets set their sights on Hunter in the upcoming draft?

CU football standout athlete Travis Hunter flashes a No. 1 with his finger after a win against CSU in the Rocky Mountain Showdown at Canvas Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Fort Collins, Colo. / Cris Tiller / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The New York Jets are hoping to embark on a new era in franchise history in 2025, and every successful era needs superstar players.

It's not as though the Jets don't have stars on the roster, with cornerback Sauce Gardner and wideout Garrett Wilson standing out as examples. But without a franchise quarterback, at least for now, it would be a boost if the Jets could find someone in the first round of the draft to become one of the faces of the team.

What if the Jets could acquire a player to star alongside both Wilson on the offensive side of the ball and Gardner on the defensive side? One can probably infer based on that description that the player being described is Colorado two-way star and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.

In a Monday mock draft, Justin Fried of FanSided projected the Jets to acquire the third-overall pick from the New York Giants, allowing them to select Hunter. In return, the Jets would send the seventh-overall pick, their 2025 third-round pick (No. 73 overall), and their 2026 second-round pick.

"Hunter is the best player in this draft class. He's an elite two-way talent, unlike anything the modern NFL has seen. Hunter is legitimately the best wide receiver and the best cornerback in this class," Fried wrote.

"The Jets don't necessarily need the help at cornerback, but Hunter could still contribute on the defensive side of the ball when needed. He would pair with Garrett Wilson to immediately transform the team's receiving corps."

Hunter, 21, put up 1,258 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns as a receiver for the Buffaloes this past season, and added four interceptions as the team's number-one cornerback. He wants to do both at a high level in the NFL, and the Jets, who could use talent at both positions, could be a great fit.

Of course, Hunter is a fairly big experiment, and the Jets would be giving up a significant amount of draft capital to trade up for him. But he's the kind of show-stopping player the Jets' fan base would wrap their arms around if he produces at the pro level.

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