NFL NationOct 6, 2025, 06:00 AM ET
- NFL Nation is made up of 32 team-specific reporters who cover the NFL year-round across ESPN.com, ESPN television shows, ESPN Radio, ESPN+ and social media platforms. It was established ahead of the 2013 season.
The Jacksonville Jaguars traded up to select WR/CB Travis Hunter No. 2 in the 2025 NFL draft in April. Hunter entered the NFL trying to do what few other have done before him -- play both offense and defense on a full-time basis. While the Jaguars are still trying to figure out the former Heisman winner's workload in the NFL, Hunter's versatility is revered around the league.
In honor of Hunter's first appearance on "Monday Night Football" against the Kansas City Chiefs (8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN), we asked our 32 NFL reporters to find the best player on every team who could have the skills to be a two-way player. Many played multiple positions in college or have been used in more than one spot already in the NFL. Some picks might surprise you.
Let's start in the AFC:
Jump to:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
AFC EAST
Buffalo Bills
The Bills don't have a player that currently plays both sides of the ball, but Thompson, who joined the team this offseason, has plenty of experience doing so. While in college at Washington, Thompson played both linebacker and running back and won the Paul Hornung Award, which honors the nation's most versatile player. He was also drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 2012 MLB draft and played briefly in the minor leagues as a centerfielder. -- Alaina Getzenberg
Miami Dolphins
FB Alec Ingold
Ingold was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Wisconsin as a quarterback for Bay Port High School during his senior year, throwing for 1,384 yards and 16 touchdowns while adding another 2,322 yards and 29 touchdowns on the ground. Ingold originally committed to play quarterback for Northern Illinois before flipping to Wisconsin, where he briefly played linebacker before moving to running back/fullback.
Bonus: Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is another option here; he totaled 1,570 total yards of offense in high school, including 887 receiving and 683 rushing, all while developing into a five-star cornerback on the other side of the ball. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques
New England Patriots
CB Marcus Jones
Named All-Pro as a punt returner in his 2022 rookie season, Jones' primary position was slot cornerback, but the coaching staff also mixed him in on offense at times to try to take advantage of his elusive movement with the football in his hands (4 catches, 78 yards, 1 TD). He played 18 offensive snaps as a rookie, and then after playing just one offensive snap in an injury-shortened 2023 season, Jones saw five snaps on offense in 2024. He has yet to play on offense this year. -- Mike Reiss
New York Jets
Stephens was an all-state running back in Texas, where he rushed for 1,389 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior in high school. He went to UCLA as a running back, but played sparingly and decided to switch to cornerback. He transferred to SMU, where he established himself as corner and got drafted by the Ravens. "I always had a love for the position," he said, adding that cornerback was "my calling." -- Rich Cimini
AFC NORTH
Baltimore Ravens
Ricard was a trailblazer in 2019 when he became the first NFL player in a decade to play over 100 snaps on offense and defense in the same season, lining up at fullback and defensive tackle. He hasn't played defense in six seasons, but he has developed into a five-time Pro Bowl fullback. Originally a defensive lineman at the University of Maine, Ricard garnered the nickname "Project Pat" with the Ravens when he started to split time at fullback. -- Jamison Hensley
Cincinnati Bengals
LB Logan Wilson
Wilson did it all as a high school standout in Wyoming, earning all-state honors at both defensive back and wide receiver. As a senior, he had 493 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. As a defensive back, he had six interceptions. Oh, and Wilson punted, too. The degree of difficulty in the NFL is much higher than it is in Wyoming, but it's fun to think about what the sixth-year pro Wilson could have looked like as a two-way athlete, especially early in his NFL career. -- Ben Baby
Cleveland Browns
DT/FB Adin Huntington
The undrafted rookie out of Tulane made the team largely because of his versatility. Huntington, 6-foot-1 and 281 pounds, has played 61 snaps on defense, and the offense has borrowed him for 17 snaps as a fullback in its jumbo packages (Huntington is also a mainstay on special teams). Cleveland has a 58.8% success rate on plays -- this would be the highest in the NFL -- with Huntington on the field. "He gives us a mobile, big blocking guy that can help us push the pile forward ... he's built like a big fullback," left guard Joel Bitonio said. -- Daniel Oyefusi
Pittsburgh Steelers
CB Jalen Ramsey
Ramsey could have been the original Travis Hunter. In high school at Brentwood Academy in Tennessee, Hunter was a cornerback, receiver and running back. Ramsey dropped his offensive responsibilities in college at Florida State, but at 6-1 and 208 pounds, the physical Swiss Army knife of a player undoubtedly could have played on both sides of the ball if given the chance -- especially considering his versatility in the Steelers' secondary this season. And while in high school, he also won a state championship in the decathlon and set a Tennessee state record in the long jump. -- Brooke Pryor
AFC SOUTH
Houston Texans
Stingley's coaches have labeled his ball skills as some of the best at his position. He has recorded 10 interceptions in the past two seasons, including his first one of the year against the Tennessee Titans in Week 4. While playing high school football in Louisiana, Stingley played wideout and had a 99-yard touchdown. He has premier top-end speed, so he could play both ways if the Texans ever needed. -- DJ Bien-Aime
Indianapolis Colts
There are few players on the roster more physical than Pittman, and he carries traits that could make him excel at the linebacker position. He is a relentless blocker on running plays and is happily an enforcer when dustups happen. Last week, while talking about playing through a fractured bone in his back during the 2024 season, he reveled in his improved health this season. Pittman said, "I just wake up and I'm like, 'How reckless can I be without hurting myself today?'" Does that sound like a guy you want to be tackled by? -- Stephen Holder
Jacksonville Jaguars
WR/CB Travis Hunter
Hunter (who has embraced the moniker "the unicorn") has played 58% of the Jaguars' offensive snaps and 38% of the defensive snaps, and he's second on the team with 13 catches (one ahead of wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.). He's one of just four players in the past 25 years to play 15 snaps on offense and defense in the same game. Hunter played a season-high 81 snaps in Week 2 against the Bengals and 79 snaps the week after, but his total dipped to 45 in Week 4, so he has yet to hit the 100-snap mark. At Colorado, playing under Deion Sanders, who also played two positions in the NFL at times, Hunter averaged 113.5 snaps per game. -- Michael DiRocco
Tennessee Titans
Mullings played two seasons at linebacker for Michigan before switching to running back his junior year. As a sophomore, Mullings appeared in 13 games on special teams and at linebacker, registering 11 tackles. Mullings has said his time playing linebacker has helped him on offense, giving him a unique "linebacker mentality" and a feel for what the opponent will do on the defensive side of the game. Special teams contributions were a big part of why Mullings, a sixth-round draft pick, made the Titans' roster. -- Turron Davenport
AFC WEST
Denver Broncos
The Broncos have some candidates, given that wide receiver Courtland Sutton was a two-sport athlete at SMU (he played on the school's basketball team) and that reigning Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II has made it no secret that he has tried to convince coach Sean Payton to play him at wide receiver as well.
But when Hufanga was at Crescent Valley High School in Corvallis, Oregon, there were recruiting services that had him rated the No. 1 "athlete'' in the nation because of his work on both sides of the ball as a runner, receiver, quarterback and safety. In his final two prep seasons, Hufanga had a combined seven interceptions on defense to go with 24 rushing touchdowns, 11 receiving touchdowns and seven touchdown passes on offense. -- Jeff Legwold
Kansas City Chiefs
We already know Mahomes is one of the most-talented quarterbacks, but he was also a crafty safety at Whitehouse High School in Texas during his sophomore season. He led the Wildcats with a team-high five interceptions, earning all-district honors. Mahomes has the athletic ability and ball skills to be an effective safety. The lone issue is that he never loved tackling in high school -- so that would be his clear weakness on the scouting report. -- Nate Taylor
2:33
RC goes off in defense of the Kansas City Chiefs
Ryan Clark lets it all out with a passionate speech on why you should never ever write off Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders' rookie would be the safest bet to play two positions. Porter was a wide receiver in high school and played the position for three seasons at Iowa State before making the switch to defensive back in 2022. If given the opportunity, Porter said he wouldn't mind playing both positions. "That's not up to me. I'll do it, but we'll see," he said. -- Ryan McFadden
Los Angeles Chargers
FB/DT Scott Matlock
Matlock is the only player in a gray jersey at Chargers practice, ensuring he can switch from offense to defense without confusing anyone. Matlock is essential to the Chargers' offense; the team may have him one-on-one with an opponent's best edge rusher or catching a pass out of the backfield. On defense, he is a rotational player on the interior and had a sack last season. -- Kris Rhim
NFC EAST
Dallas Cowboys
CB Trevon Diggs
Diggs opened his college career at Alabama as a wide receiver and caught 11 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown as a freshman. His ball skills have been on display his entire pro career -- although he has just three interceptions in his past 17 games. With CeeDee Lamb out, the Cowboys seem to be OK at receiver, but maybe in a pinch Diggs would help.
Bonus: Running back Javonte Williams was a tackling machine in high school, so linebacker is in his repertoire -- Todd Archer
New York Giants
QB Jaxson Dart
Have you seen Dart play? This is a player who relishes contact. Dart told ESPN recently that he was a linebacker growing up. His dad, Brandon, played safety at the University of Utah. His brother, Diesel, is a safety at Corner Canyon High School, where his older brother also played. The physicality is ingrained in Dart, who used his throwing arm to stiff-arm a defender in his first career start. Fifteen of Dart's 54 rushing yards (28%) have come after contact. That's more a safety/linebacker mentality than quarterback. -- Jordan Raanan
Philadelphia Eagles
Just watch DeJean's pick-six of Mahomes in Super Bowl LIX and you can see he has the hands, vision and moves to play some offense. Put him in the slot and let him work. He starred on offense in high school in Iowa and set school career records in passing yards, passing TDs, completions and receiving TDs. He was a standout in basketball, baseball and track as well, showing he's more than capable of being multifaceted. -- Tim McManus
Washington Commanders
Sainristil already has shown he can be an effective corner in the NFL -- he's best suited inside but played outside out of necessity last year and handled it well. He has intercepted three passes in the NFL and has started 20 games. But his versatility wasn't a surprise to Washington because of what he showed at Michigan. He was a standout receiver -- with 28 career touchdown receptions -- and defensive back in high school and started his career on offense in college. Sainristil played receiver his first three seasons and caught 38 passes for 546 yards and five touchdowns. He then moved to corner for his final two years and intercepted seven passes. -- John Keim
NFC NORTH
Chicago Bears
Walker was the only undrafted rookie to make the 53-man roster after Chicago's brass became enamored with the high-motor energy he put into every training camp practice and preseason game. Nothing showcased that more than when he scored the Bears' go-ahead TD in the two-minute drill and then recorded the game-sealing tackle on the very next kickoff to help Chicago come from behind to beat the Chiefs in the third game of the preseason. Walker was a two-way standout at Shaker Heights High School in Ohio, where he caught 19 passes for 431 yards and five touchdowns and recorded 55 tackles, 9 pass breakups, 6 forced fumbles and 2 interceptions as a senior. -- Courtney Cronin
Detroit Lions
Joseph led the NFL with nine interceptions last season and has been able to showcase his elite catching ability despite starring on defense. Joseph also played wide receiver during his junior season (2020) at Illinois, which has helped him develop elite ball skills as a First-Team All-Pro NFL safety. That two-way experience could possibly help him play both sides of the ball, if necessary, within a Lions offense known for being creative with trick plays. However, he hasn't logged any offensive reps in the NFL. -- Eric Woodyard
Green Bay Packers
CB/WR Bo Melton
For his first two seasons in Green Bay, Melton played receiver. In fact, he has a 100-yard game to his credit (105 vs. Minnesota in 2023). This summer, he switched to cornerback, the same position his brother Max plays for the Cardinals. Bo Melton switched his number from 80 to 16, played exclusively on defense in the preseason and made the team as a cornerback. However, he has not taken a snap on defense yet this season. He played three snaps at receiver in Week 3 because the Packers were thin at the position but otherwise has played only on special teams. -- Rob Demovsky
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings don't have any obvious candidates, so let's nominate Rodgers -- who has already scored two defensive touchdowns this season and also hit the highest game speed recorded in the NFL Next Gen Stats era. Rodgers got to 23.32 mph while chasing Steelers receiver DK Metcalf across the field on an 80-yard touchdown. At UMass in 2019, Rodgers fielded 53 kick returns for 1,415 yards, both of which ranked No. 1 among all FBS players that season. Rodgers has been begging Vikings coaches to allow him to return kickoffs, but he has been too valuable on defense to risk a special teams injury. Still, it's easy to envision Rodgers lining up as a wide receiver and simply outrunning defensive backs to an open space. -- Kevin Seifert
NFC SOUTH
Atlanta Falcons
While Andersen's injury issues have kept him off the field for much of the past two seasons, he was a versatile two-way player at Montana State. Andersen played running back and linebacker as a true freshman, then moved to quarterback as a sophomore and set the school record for most rushing touchdowns in a single season (21). He moved back to playing primarily linebacker as a junior, though he still saw time at running back, starting three games on both sides of the ball. Andersen still owns the Montana State record for most rushing yards in a single game (211) and he's second in career rushing touchdowns (33). -- Marc Raimondi
Carolina Panthers
WR David Moore
Moore gets the nod here even though he just went on the injured reserve with an elbow injury. Moore has no experience on defense, but his coaches say Moore could play cornerback in a crunch if necessary because of his versatility. He has been a top contributor on special teams as a gunner and has been consistent as a receiver and runner on reverses that led to his injury. -- David Newton
New Orleans Saints
TE Taysom Hill
The do-everything player, who returned Sunday from the physically unable to perform list, has played quarterback, tight end and fullback in the NFL and has thrown for, caught and run for touchdowns. He was a high school quarterback in Idaho who also kicked and punted, and he even played defensive back and linebacker in a pinch. The Saints recently said Hill could be their emergency long-snapper. Former Saints coach Dennis Allen has said he believes Hill could have played linebacker in the NFL, although that never came to fruition. -- Katherine Terrell
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
DT Vita Vea
Vea might be pushing 347 pounds, and his home is always going to be defensive line, but he also played running back at Milpitas High School in California, where he had 13 rushing touchdowns his senior year and averaged 12.3 yards per carry on 47 carries. In the NFL, he has lined up a couple of times on offense at the goal line, becoming the heaviest player to score an offensive touchdown in league history in 2019 with a 1-yard touchdown catch against the Falcons. -- Jenna Laine
NFC WEST
Arizona Cardinals
A safety for the Cardinals who's seeing significant playing time, Taylor-Demerson has a storied history on the offensive side of the ball. He was the Oklahoma 5A Player of the Year as a senior in high school at running back and was also named the Big All-City Offensive Player of the Year. As a senior, he had 1,365 rushing yards and 24 TDs and led his team to its third straight Class 5A state championship. -- Josh Weinfuss
Los Angeles Rams
LB Jared Verse
Puka Nacua said he'd like to see outside linebacker Verse at tight end. "I think that would be interesting to see," Nacua said. "I think we could put him in some motions and put a lot of defenses in some trouble." Verse played on both sides of the ball his senior year of high school, catching 15 passes for 385 yards to go with his 14 tackles and three forced fumbles. -- Sarah Barshop
San Francisco 49ers
LB Dee Winters
Winters found a home at linebacker in college (TCU) and in the NFL and has emerged as one of the team's best young players so far this season. But there was a time when Winters was a jack-of-all-trades who did a little of everything for tiny Burton High in Texas. There, Winters posted over 1,100 yards and 18 touchdowns as a receiver while also playing quarterback, running back, defensive back, linebacker and even punter. Given his size (5-11, 227 pounds), he'd probably fit as more of a running back or H-back type in the NFL, but his experience playing all over the field would seem to help him if he needed to do more than just play linebacker. -- Nick Wagoner
Seattle Seahawks
CB Riq Woolen
With a 6-foot-4 frame, a 4.26-second 40-yard dash and a 42-inch vertical jump, Woolen has the kind of measurables and athletic ability that would give him a chance to catch passes for a living and not just defend them. He began his college career as a wide receiver, catching 24 passes for 263 yards and a touchdown over his freshman and sophomore seasons at UTSA. But with Woolen playing sparingly and the Roadrunners in need of help at cornerback, he agreed to play defense late in his sophomore season, a switch that would put him on a path to making the Pro Bowl and finishing tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with six as a rookie fifth-round pick in 2022. -- Brady Henderson
