The Jacksonville Jaguars couldn't pass up the chance to trade up for Travis Hunter when the opportunity arose and didn't mind paying what seemed like a steep price for it because they believe he's a franchise-altering talent. A two-way star at Colorado, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner expects to play corner and wide receiver at the NFL full-time. However, a former Super Bowl champion is skeptical that he'll pull it off.
Former NFL offensive tackle Willie Colon cast doubt on Hunter's wish to play two ways in Jacksonville, pointing out that he may not be able to withstand an 18-week schedule in the pros.
"I know how I would approach a guy like this," Colon said on Breakfast Ball via Brad Crawford of CBS Sports. "I'm going to test his armor. I'm going to see how tough you really are. If you want to be a two-way player in the NFL, I'm going to see if you're strong enough to be a two-way player. So, when I'm pulling around that corner, I'm going to test that 12 on your chest."
Colon goes on to emphatically say that Hunter won't play two wayssolely on in the NFL and suggests he focus on solely playing cornerback.
"And so, for me, if I'm the Jacksonville Jaguars, listen to what the players are saying. They're curious if he can finish an 18-week season going both ways. I promise you he won't. They'll move him to one side of the ball and that's cornerback, and allow him to be the best cornerback he can be. Because not only will you have to make tackles, you're going to have to withstand getting hit too," Colon said.
Hunter made it clear that he wouldn't go to a team that limited him on one side of the ball. The Jags needed help at cornerback and receiver, so they look like a fit despite the fact that they had the fifth overall pick. However, just a couple days before the draft, speculation grew that they were planning to make a bold move. The time came, and they moved up to No. 2 to select the West Palm Beach native.
So far, Hunter's transition to the NFL is going well. He exclusively lined up at wide receiver early in his onboarding process but began to get reps on defense at mandatory camp. While the exact amount of time he'll get is yet to be determined, all signs point toward the former Buffalo playing on both sides of the ball as a rookie.
Travis Hunter should use Willie Colon's skepticism as fuel to play two ways for the Jaguars
Willie Colon is far from the only observer who's questioned Travis Hunter's viability to play two ways in the NFL. However, not many have been as blunt as him. That said, his argument is flawed. He says that the Jacksonville Jaguars should listen to players. Ok, fine. Which ones? Those who've never been in Hunter's position?
Ultimately, it doesn't matter what players or analysts outside the Jaguars building say. His teammates and coaches can't stop heaping praise on him.
So what should the Jags do? Disregard the plan they have for Hunter just because Colon suggests it? Probably not. The one thing that the team's brass needs to worry about is giving him the right amount of reps on offense and defense without overworking him.
It's also worth noting that Hunter is trending toward playing two-ways as a rookie but may not earn a full-time role in 2025 because they're stacked at both at wide receiver and cornerback right now. My guess is that he'll get reps at wide receiver and cornerback, but will only step into a featured role until 2026. There's a strong chance that Dyami Brown will be gone by then, and the cornerback room could look significantly different.
The bottom line is that Travis Hunter is too talented to limit him to just one side of the ball, and the Jaguars will do anything they can to ensure he plays receiver and corner. The plan could ultimately fail, but that doesn't mean they won't give it a shot.
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