"Unless they're gonna give him two paychecks": Bomani Jones pushes back on Travis Hunter playing both ways in NFL

Travis Hunter seems pretty adamant that he wants to play on both sides of the ball as a professional, just like he did in college. His efforts as a two-way star for Colorado helped net him a Heisman Trophy, and he might be the most intriguing prospect in next month's NFL Draft.

Wave Sports + Entertainment's Bomani Jones doesn't see why Hunter should subject himself to such a workload. Not unless he's compensated identically.

“I think playing two positions is preposterous unless they’re gonna give him two paychecks,” Jones said last Friday on his podcast, "The Right Time with Bomani Jones." “I don’t know why people are so intrigued by this idea. … I’m hearing people say he’s definitely wide receiver (No.) 1 and cornerback (No.) 1 in this draft. Okay. To my crudely informed opinion, I feel like he is rarer as a corner than he is as a receiver, and he’s not that big.

"Now, if you wanna have him be a corner and, every now and then, you know, have a package where you bring him in (at receiver), okay. I think you do that. But, hey, man, granted Deion Sanders was also playing baseball, but the wear and tear on his body from doing all of that stuff, I mean, he doesn’t have all his toes. I just can’t believe they keep pushing this. Like, again, are you giving me two checks? Was I getting two scholarships? Then what are we talking about here?”

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Jones' guest, Yahoo Sports' Charles McDonald, pointed out the toll that playing so much in the NFL could take on Travis Hunter. ESPN's Stephen A. Smith offered Hunter a similar warning last month.

“I remember, at Colorado, you look at the play count totals, we’re talking, like, 150 plays per game,” McDonald said. “I don’t know how he did in college, you know, let alone in the NFL. … And I feel like you have more games. You go to the playoffs, you’re talking about, like, potentially a 20-game, 21-game season if you make it to the Super Bowl."

"What are you talking about? You can’t play (two sides). You just can’t do it. Maybe we’re just the dumbest guys ever, we’re totally wrong, and this is gonna be, like, a Herculean feat of athleticism and sheer willpower.”

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Why does Travis Hunter want to play both ways?

During an appearance on Cam Newton's podcast "4th&1 with Cam Newton" last month, Travis Hunter explained why he'd like to play both offense and defense in the NFL. He said he wants to score touchdowns and bask in the crowd's reaction as a receiver.

"On the defensive side of the defensive side of the ball, I can lock them up, catch the pick, but sometimes you don't get to the end zone," Hunter said.

Travis Hunter likely won't have to wait to hear his name called next month. It will be interesting to see where his potential NFL team employs him. He has a few possible landing spots, including Cleveland and the New York Giants.