Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter has the potential to become the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner, said in December that he wants to be the No. 1 pick, and is likely to at least be a top-10—if not top-five—pick in the draft.
Cam Newton, the top pick in the 2011 draft, gave Hunter a harsh reality check on being the No. 1 pick this week, pointing out that it means Hunter will most likely join an underperforming team.
"You're the top pick because that was the worst team in the NFL the year before," Newton said on The Travis Hunter Show. "... You could potentially be the first pick but you have no way of impacting the game like a quarterback does. You can lock down a No. 1 receiver, you can make impact plays on offense all you want, but it's still not like a quarterback.
Cam Newton hopped on Travis Hunters’ show and dropped a GEM about being the #1 pick 💎@TravisHunterJr @CameronNewton pic.twitter.com/oJPsXALOEx
— Overtime (@overtime) February 7, 2025
Newton continued, "My issue is when I was the first pick, I went into a locker room full of losers. Guys didn't know how to win, guys did not know how to prepare. It was a culture shock for me. The games don't mean a lot to a lot of people in the league like you would expect. It's just money. Not everyone has capabilities to be impact players, they're just players."
Though teams selecting in the top five of the draft typically earned that pick because they were one of the worst teams the year before, (or alternatively traded up to the spot), it doesn't mean a quick turnaround is impossible. In 2024, two teams that picked top-five, the Chargers and Commanders, became playoff teams that same season. The year before, the Texans picked second and have now been made the playoffs in two consecutive seasons. Newton did call what Jayden Daniels did with the Commanders and C.J. Stroud with the Texans outliers, and added that they hold more of an impact because they are quarterbacks.
All three of those teams also brought in new head coaches, whereas none of the top three teams picking in the 2025 draft—the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns and New York Giants—have a new regime. If Hunter falls out of the top three, the teams picking four through seven in the draft—the New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets—all have new coaches, which can also play a role in a quick turnaround.
Even if Hunter does go to a losing team that doesn't become a contender right away, it doesn't mean it will take them long. Though Newton was drafted by a struggling Panthers team, they made the playoffs by his third season and the Super Bowl in his fifth season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cam Newton Gives Travis Hunter Reality Check On Becoming Potential Top Draft Pick.
