The Jacksonville Jaguars made an eye-opening move during the 2025 NFL Draft, as they traded up to acquire dual-threat Travis Hunter at the No. 2 pick. It's believed he'll contribute in a significant way as a rookie for a struggling team that went 4-13 last season.
As those who followed his career at Colorado saw, Hunter played two positions — cornerback and wide receiver — and he excelled at both, winning the Heisman Trophy. He now seems to have some high expectations as an NFL player.
Many individuals are excited about Hunter playing for Jacksonville, and that includes AEW owner and head booker Tony Khan. He's not just Jaguars owner Shahid Khan's son, Tony is also the team's Chief Football Strategy Officer.
Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter poses with team owner Shahid Khan and his son Tony Khan.
Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter poses with team owner Shahid Khan and his son Tony Khan.
Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The AEW CEO appeared on a recent episode of The Rich Eisen Show, and after discussing professional wrestling, the host asked for his thoughts about Hunter. Tony spoke about his appreciation of the deal.
He praised the team's leadership, including Jaguars GM James Gladstone and head coach Liam Cohen’s preparation before the draft. Tony also indicated the move to draft Hunter was discussed “for a long time," and he's "very excited" to see him play in Jacksonville.
“As an analytics person, working in analytics, Travis Hunter had some of the most impressive statistics on both sides of the ball, and to be able to bring in somebody that can add so much value to the team on both sides of the ball and with the great plan that Liam has to use Travis, I just think he’s going to be so great,” the AEW owner told Eisen.
By now, most fans realize that Hunter is likely to play both receiver and corner, but the plan for how many plays he'll participate in offensively and defensively remains somewhat mysterious.
Eisen attempted to get Tony to open up about the Jaguars' actual plans for Hunter, but he deferred to the head coach.
"I think he's been super open about it, that Liam plans to involve Travis on offense and defense. I think in our offseason activities, already early in mini-camp, we've seen Travis work on both sides, and really, he's been very impressive on both sides. It's very early, but I think he's got a great group of coaches to work with on both sides of the ball," Tony said.
"I think Liam's talked about it a lot that he thinks Travis can contribute on offense and defense," he added.
After Tony didn't reveal too much about the plan, Eisen suggested he wants "a hundred snaps a game" for Hunter. That brought laughter from others in the room, including Tony.
"I've said it in the microphone without you sitting here," Eisen said, adding he wanted to see 50 snaps on "either side of the ball."
Eisen also mentioned that he knows Tony recognizes stars from running AEW and that Hunter already seems like one. In the past weeks, Jacksonville's rookie has been seen sporting a sweatshirt bearing Jaguars and AEW logos for some cross-brand promotion.
The AEW owner said he'd pass Eisen's message on to others involved in the decision-making for how much Hunter plays on each side. He also mentioned how he grew up seeing Charles Woodson excel at various positions, before eventually becoming a stellar defensive star and Hall of Famer.
Tony called Hunter someone who "loves football" and "is pleasant to be around," mentioning there's plenty of excitement for the rookie and other young core team members in Jacksonville.
The buzz is certainly there, but time will tell if Rich Eisen gets his wish to see Hunter win both NFL Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year.