The Jacksonville Jaguars had a handful of building blocks in place but knew that they needed to acquire more game-changers if they wanted to turn into a perennial contender. For that reason, it wasn't particularly shocking to see them move up in the 2025 NFL Draft to select Travis Hunter. Simply, the Jags couldn't pass up the chance to acquire a player with the potential to alter the landscape of the sport.
And while Hunter has yet to take a snap, he's already generating immense amounts of buzz. However, an NFL analyst just poured a bucket of freezing cold water on his hype. Brent Sobleski of The Bleacher Report put together a list of the most exciting NFL rookies ahead of training camp and argued that Jacksonville should temper expectations for the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner, noting that there are other players who may turn out to be more intriguing than him. Below's the skinny.
"Hunter won't be able to play as many snaps at the professional level. He's likely not going to be a full-time participant on both sides of the ball," Sobleski wrote. "He can do both and contribute, but the coaching staff must place a restriction plate on his intake or run the risk of overwhelming the 22-year-old, especially early in this career."
Sobleski isn't wrong. The Jaguars must balance Hunter's workload, but even if he doesn't play two ways full-time, he's trending toward being a difference-maker.
Just recently, All-Pro tight end Travis Hunter said that the Kansas City Chiefs are developing a strategy to neutralize the former Colorado Buffalo ahead of their Week 5 matchup against the Jags. This is noteworthy because how many rookies command that kind of attention without playing a single snap?
It's also important to point out that the Jaguars are dealing with a unique case. No other player has entered the NFL in the current era expecting to play offense and defense full-time. Although the team's brass has a plan to bring Hunter along, they'll need to be making tweaks on the fly. So far, though, he's been able to handle everything the Jags have thrown at him.
The West Palm Beach native began his onboarding at receiver and only got reps on offense early in the offseason program. However, he began to line up at cornerback during mandatory minicamp because head coach Liam Coen believed he would benefit more from walkthroughs than the classroom.
The Jaguars will surely keep making adjustments to his development in training camp.
Why Travis Hunter can have an impact for the Jaguars even if he doesn't play full-time
When the offseason began, the Jacksonville Jaguars probably didn't think they would have a shot at landing Travis Hunter. Otherwise, they might not have gone after cornerback Jourdan Lewis and wide receiver Dyami Brown in free agency. That said, signing them gives the team plenty of flexibility.
The Jags are loaded at both receiver and cornerback, so Hunter may not get to play two ways full-time as a rookie. As the competitor he is, he might not like it, but he's also the kind of player who'll do what's best for the team.
On the other hand, Hunter is too talented to stay on the bench, so Jacksonville will look for ways to integrate him into the game plan. Simply, they didn't give up first and second-round draft picks to select him, but using him in smaller doses, at least in 2025, may be the best course of action.
Travis Hunter presents the Jaguars with an interesting decision, just how much can they put on their plate without wearing him down? That's something they'll need to figure out along the way, but they're surely thrilled about facing this kind of conundrum. After all, how many teams can boast about having a game-changer who can make an impact on offense and defense?
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