The Draft 'unicorn' that NFL teams just can't figure out

Shohei Ohtani is known arsenic baseball's "unicorn" for his uncommon quality to play arsenic some an elite hitter and pitcher.

The NFL could soon person its ain two-way superstar.

Travis Hunter whitethorn beryllium the archetypal wide prime successful this year's draught aft being named assemblage football's champion subordinate successful 2024.

The NFL has not had a Draft imaginable similar him successful 27 years, a subordinate who has excelled connected some offence and defence.

Hunter is arguably assemblage football's top two-way subordinate successful history, yet NFL teams are unsure what to bash with him.

BBC Sport looks astatine wherefore the 21-year-old is truthful peculiar and the dilemma facing NFL scouts arsenic they hole for the Draft.

Hunter was the country's top-ranked enlistee aft playing cornerback and wide receiver astatine precocious schoolhouse successful Georgia.

He committed to play assemblage shot astatine Jackson State successful 2022 truthful helium could play nether Deion Sanders, who won 2 Super Bowls arsenic a two-way subordinate successful the 1990s.

When Sanders became Colorado manager successful 2023, Hunter followed, and continued to advancement connected some sides of the ball.

In his 3rd and last assemblage play helium became the archetypal subordinate to triumph the awards for champion antiaircraft subordinate of the twelvemonth and champion receiver.

He besides became the archetypal two-way subordinate to triumph the Heisman Trophy for champion subordinate since Charles Woodson (1997), ensuring helium volition beryllium 1 of the archetypal players selected astatine the Draft, which takes spot from 24-26 April.

NFL teams got a accidental to measure the champion of this year's draught prospects implicit the play astatine the Scouting Combine.

Although Hunter chose not to instrumentality portion successful immoderate of the drills, helium spoke to squad officials and the media, making it wide helium wants to support playing full-time connected offence and defence.

Last play helium played each 13 of Colorado's games, claiming 4 interceptions and 96 receptions for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns. He played 714 (87%) of their violative snaps and 748 (83%) of their defensive.

But fewer person played some regularly successful the NFL. Chuck Bednarik is the past existent two-way player, having played centre and linebacker for Philadelphia from 1949-56.

Since 2006, Patrick Ricard is 1 of six players to person played 200 violative and 200 antiaircraft snaps, but the Baltimore full-back has seldom played connected defence since 2019.

William 'the Refrigerator' Perry, Troy Brown, Mike Vrabel and Julian Edelman besides played both, but nary did some regularly successful the aforesaid season, arsenic Sanders did with the Dallas Cowboys successful 1996.

After being drafted, Woodson played astir wholly connected defence, and Sanders has told teams not to draught Hunter if they bash not program connected giving him the accidental to play both.

"They accidental cipher has ever done it the mode I bash it, but I archer them I'm conscionable different," said Hunter.

Hunter says his relation successful the NFL is "still up successful the air" and "up to the organisation" which drafts him, arsenic each seems to person a antithetic thought of however champion to utilise him.

The Tennessee Titans person the archetypal prime of the draft. Last week wide manager Mike Borgonzi called Hunter "special", portion caput manager Brian Callahan said helium is "unique".

Both said they spot Hunter starting arsenic a cornerback, with Callahan adding: "Then you find ways to interject him into the offence arsenic helium gets much comfortable." He adjacent suggested Hunter could besides instrumentality punts.

The Cleveland Browns person the 2nd draught pick, and wide manager Andrew Berry said Hunter is "a unicorn" who would play "receiver chiefly first".

New England person the 4th pick, and their enforcement Eliot Wolf said: "He's astir apt going to large successful 1 [position] and insignificant successful the other."

Hunter is adamant helium wants to bash some full-time, adding: "That's not my occupation to fig it out."

Hunter averaged 111.5 snaps per crippled with Colorado - 40 much than the highest NFL drawback number past play - but helium hopes to emulate shot prima Ohtani and amusement that two-way players tin "become a thing" successful the NFL too.

"I bash a batch of treatment," helium said. "People don't get to spot that portion - what I bash for my assemblage to marque definite I'm 100% each game.

"I did it astatine assemblage level, wherever you seldom get breaks. There are a batch much breaks successful the NFL, truthful I cognize I tin bash it."