One of the biggest storylines surrounding the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2025 is how they plan to use Travis Hunter. The former Colorado standout can play two ways at a high level and made it clear that he wouldn't go to a team that limited him to one side of the ball. So far, he's lined up at both receiver and cornerbacks in offseason workouts, but it's fair to wonder if he'll be able to do it full-time. An NFL analyst recently suggested that it doesn't hurt the Jags to give it a shot.
Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports took a look at a handful of offseason narratives and argues that the idea of Hunter being a full-time receiver is clearly an overreaction. Here's the skinny.
"Jacksonville has an excellent young wideout in Brian Thomas Jr., but Hunter already excels at route running and ball tracking. With Thomas already in place, Hunter will be facing No. 2 cornerbacks often and having the potential to put up big numbers every week," Kerr wrote. " Having Hunter concentrate on one position and excelling would justify his status as the No. 2 pick regardless."
Kerr continued, "Hunter wants to play both positions and be on the field at all times. As long as he can hold his own and perform well on both sides of the ball, it's not harming the Jaguars. Jacksonville still would be better putting him at wide receiver full time, as Trevro Lawrence excelling should be first and foremost."
When the Jags drafted Hunter, they said that they would start his onboarding on offense and progressively increase his reps at cornerback. That's more or less how his offseason unfolded. The West Palm Beach native lined up at receiver during rookie minicamp and Organized Team Activities, but started to get time on defense at the end of mandatory minicamp.
So far, Hunter has looked fine on both sides of the ball, so he's on track to play two ways as a rookie. The question will be how much time he'll spend on both sides.
Travis Hunter gives the Jaguars a great problem to have
Ideally, teams want to see first-round picks, especially those selected in the top 10, to hit the ground running. However, the Jacksonville Jaguars don't have to thrust him into action right off the bat and can afford to bring him along slowly.
The Jags are set at receiver with Dyami Brown, Brian Thomas Jr., and Parker Washington in the mix. Washington will tentatively play in the slot, but Hunter could also get plenty of snaps inside. In fact, he might not become WR2 until Brown, who signed a one-year deal, leaves in 2025. That said, the coaching staff will look for creative ways to integrate Hunter's playmaking skills. It's just that he may not have a full-time role this upcoming season.
Something similar could happen at cornerback. The Jaguars have Tyson Campbell, Jarrian Jones, and Jourdan Lewis. Couple that with Montaric Brown's strong offseason, and Jacksonville might have a "burden of choice" kind of situation brewing.
Campbell is slated to start in the boundaries. Either Jones or Lewis will line up opposite him, and the other will man the slot. This begs the question: Where do you put Hunter? He's too talented to keep him on the sidelines, but who do you take out?
The truth is that this is a fluid situation, and once the regular season comes, the Jaguars will have a better feel for how to use Travis Hunter. For the time being, they're surely hyped up about all the mismatches he'll potentially create on both sides of the ball, regardless of how many snaps he gets.
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