What about a guy that can play two spots?

When he spoke to the media on Monday at the NFL spring meetings in Palm Beach, Fla., Browns owner Jimmy Haslam mentioned the player who has gotten lost in the shuffle when it comes to speculation about who the club might take if it keeps the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft in a little over three weeks.

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That would be the unicorn from Colorado, wide receiver-cornerback Travis Hunter. The only other mention about him that has gotten any attention came from former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer several weeks ago. He was effusive in his praise of Hunter.

Yes, the Browns desperately need a quarterback — and a leader — and Hunter’s former college teammate, Shadeur Sanders, would certainly provide that. He could be the face of the franchise with no problem. He’s got that kind of moxie.

Yes, the Browns also desperately need an edge rusher to play opposite of future Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end Myles Garrett, and Penn State’s Abdul Carter would fill that hole nicely. He, along with Garrett, would stretch offenses beyond their pass protection limits. The last time the Browns had two great defensive ends at the same time was with Bill Glass and Paul Wiggin from 1962 to ‘67. 

But in Hunter, the Browns would fill two areas of need in that they are looking for playmaking wideouts and with the fact a team can never have enough cover corners, especially when their best one, Denzel Ward, keeps suffering concussions.

It has been since 1960, with Hall of Famer Chuck Bednarik, a starter at both center and middle linebacker who helped lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a 17-13 victory over the Green Bay Packers of some second-year head coach named Vincent Lombardi in what was still called the NFL Championship Game, since pro football has had a true two-way player.

It will take an organization that is not just smart enough, but also savvy enough, daring enough and forward- and futuristic-thinking enough to make that leap of faith and select Hunter. Are the Browns that team? They used to be when they were coached by Paul Brown, who was so far ahead of the rest of the coaches in football when it came to seeing what was beyond the next horizon that he was lapping them.

Steve King

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