The Jacksonville Jaguars made it clear when they drafted Travis Hunter that they wouldn't limit him to one position after playing receiver and cornerback in college. Heck, general manager James Gladstone laid out how the team would bring him along. So far, things have gone as planned, even though a handful of analysts have wondered whether it will be feasible for the 2024 Heisman Trophy will be able to play two ways. Judy Battista of NFL Media argues that it shouldn't be a reason for concern.
Battista took a look at some overreactions ahead of training camp and says that the breakdown of Hunter's practice time is a nothingburger, pointing out that the Jags will make adjustments along the way.
"Admittedly, this is going to be a hard one to resist, but hear us out," Battista wrote. "Hunter's development and evolution as a two-way player was not set in stone during spring, and it almost certainly won't be even during training camp. The Jaguars started him at wide receiver, but he also practiced in the spring at cornerback. Hunter wants to play both. IT's up to Hunter to show that he can handle the physical and mental load -- if he does, his job will inevitably morph."
Throughout the offseason, questions have arisen about Hunter's viability as a two-way player and whether he'll be able to carry the workload. So far, it has not been an issue. In fact, head coach Liam Coen said that he began to get reps at cornerback at mandatory minicamp because he believes that walkthroughs help him learn better than the film room.
But Hunter's growth hasn't stopped analysts from wondering whether he'll be able to practice and later play on both sides of the ball. As Battista noted, this is a fluid situation, one that the Jags (or any other team) had never had to deal with, but so far, there are no signs that Jacskonville will ditch the plan and leave the West Palm Beach, Florida native on one side of the ball.
The Jaguars are well-equipped to get the most out of Travis Hunter
At this point, the question isn't whether Travis Hunter can handle practicing two ways but how much time he'll get once the regular season comes, and that's because the Jacksonville Jaguars are loaded at receiver and cornerback.
See, Hunter could turn out to be WR2 or start at cornerback full-time down the road, but he may not get much playing time early as a rookie. Dyami Brown could start opposite Brian Thomas Jr. to start 2025. On the other hand, Parker Washington is better suited to line up in the slot, so that's where he'll mostly play. That begs the question. Where do you plug Hunter in? Who do you take out?
The coaching staff could sometimes run 4-receiver sets to feature all four, but they'll probably have three receivers most of the time.
Something similar could happen on defense. The Jaguars have four capable corners in Jarrian Jones, Tyson Campbell, Jourdan Lewis, and Montaric Brown. All four could end up getting lots of snaps next season. Add Hunter to the mix, and the team's brass will have to decide how to distribute their workload.
One thing is certain: Travis Hunter will play receiver and corner as a rookie, but how much time he'll get at each position remains to be seen.
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