Travis Hunter and the Jacksonville Jaguars have proven they can hang with the best of the best in the NFL, as their last two weeks have seen them take down the previously unbeaten San Francisco 49ers on the road and come back against the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in primetime.
While quarterback Trevor Lawrence deserves praise for leading a 31-28 comeback win against one of the very best teams in the NFL, Hunter is starting to show that the fantasy of him being an impact player on both sides of the ball simultaneously is far from a pipe dream. The Kansas City game may have been his best two-way performance so far.
Hunter caught three passes for 64 yards in this game, including a 44-yard bomb from Lawrence that stands out as his best play in the NFL. Pro Football Focus gave him a grade of 82.9 for the night on offense, which made him the highest-graded player on Jacksonville's roster.
But Hunter's impact was also evident on defense. His work at cornerback was almost as good as his wide receiver performance, earning a PFF grade of 77.0 on the defensive side of the ball. Hunter allowed just one catch on three targets, which is refreshing after a few weeks of up-and-down play on the defensive side.
Jaguars WR/CB Travis Hunter made plays on offense and defense vs. Chiefs
Travis Hunter hasn't intercepted a pass or caught a touchdown yet this season, which has led to less highlight-reel plays than many expected. However, Hunter seems to be finally settling down as he undertakes the mammoth challenge of learning two NFL playbooks at once as a rookie.
The Jaguars appear to be using Hunter as a secondary wide receiver who moonlights on the defensive side of the ball. While Liam Coen had previously said Hunter will stick in the slot this season, which is not a position he played with Colorado, he now has two weeks in a row of making great catches on deep balls.
Hunter is a smaller cornerback anyway, which means there is a physical adjustment that needs to be made when defending NFL-level receivers. If he can make that adjustment, he has proven to have nearly unparalleled lateral quickness and some of the best ball skills in the AFC.
Even in the limited times he has broken off a big play this season, it is clear that Travis Hunter is already in rarified territory as an athlete. Jacksonville would be wise to lean on that.