The Jacksonville Jaguars made it clear when drafting Travis Hunter second overall last season that he would play full time on both sides of the ball. That plan now appears to have changed, generating buzz on social media.
On Friday, NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe shared what he has heard about how the Jaguars plan to deploy Hunter next season.
“From what I understand, they plan to play him as a full-time cornerback and a part-time receiver, which is a switch from last year when he played more than double of his snaps at receiver than cornerback,” Wolfe said.
Wolfe pointed to the upcoming offseason and an important decision that affected the plan for Hunter to spend more time on defense.
“They think Travis Hunter can be elite at cornerback and still be an impact player on offense,” Wolfe said. “They also have Montaric Brown and Greg Newsom II, cornerbacks who are about to be free agents. They’re expected to let at least one of those cornerbacks walk in free agency so Travis Hunter can have that starting spot there.”
Hunter played in seven games during his rookie season, finishing with 28 catches for 298 yards and a touchdown. On defense, he allowed completions on nine of 18 passes thrown his way and quarterbacks had a passer rating of only 68.3, according to Pro Football Reference. Despite the strong start, Hunter tore his LCL ahead of the team’s Week 8 game against the Las Vegas Raiders, ending his season.
Not everyone agrees with the move. Wolfe’s report disappointed a user on X who believed the Jaguars gave up too much in the 2025 draft to move up from No. 5 to No. 2 if he was going to primarily play one position.
“Looks kind of bad that they traded two 1sts, a 2nd and a 4th for a corner,” the user said on X.
Still, the overall majority of comments about the move appear to be positive.
“Makes sense to me. In the NFL, if he’s going to reach his potential, he should specialize in one to have a true chance at greatness,” a user on X posted. “The competitors have too much talent for him not to maximize his talent by honing his skill at his best position. Nothing wrong w/ spot duty at WR.”
Another user believed Hunter should have been used primarily at cornerback since he was drafted.
“I feel like this is what it should have been from Day 1,” the X user replied. “Play every snap on defense, and come in a few times a game on offense and make a momentum changing play.”