The Jacksonville Jaguars went all in to acquire the reigning Heisman Trophy winner in the 2025 NFL Draft. New general manager James Gladstone sent the Cleveland Browns a package of picks headlined by a future first-rounder for the right to select wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter.
The Jaguars executed this trade with the goal of making Hunter a two-way player. Gladstone even said this playmaker was capable of pushing the boundaries of football.
"He's a rare person," Gladstone said last year. "He's a rare player. But he's also a reminder that the boundaries of the game of football we built to be challenged. We want him to be nothing more than him – because when he is, he elevates the space around him – from the football field, to the city, to the game of football itself.
"Travis Hunter is who we've been hunting up."
Through nine career games, the results have been disappointing to say the least. Hunter caught 28 passes for 298 yards and one touchdown, and made 15 tackles with three passes defensed in seven games played as a rookie before an LCL injury knocked him out for the rest of the year. Through two games this season, Hunter's usage has come under more scrutiny. He's caught one pass for eight yards, rushed once for three yards, and made five tackles with one pass defensed.
It was believed that Hunter was going to play more cornerback this year -- although the Jaguars will never walk back their original plan of him being a two-way player. Hunter has played 58.4% of snaps on defense through two weeks, and just 8.6% of offensive snaps. This has led to more questions, because why is Hunter playing such few snaps?
There's plenty to criticize from the Jags' 20-13 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday. The secondary struggled to contain Jaylen Waddle, and the offense fell flat in the final quarter. As head coach Liam Coen evaluated the first loss of the season, he came to the conclusion that Hunter needs to be more involved on offense.
"Any time you struggle offensively, specifically, you look at the totality of it all, and Travis is a big part of that obviously that we're looking at continuing to find different ways to get him involved," Coen told reporters. "You're also looking at the other side of the ball... I thought he did a nice job throughout the course of the week, and we're going to look at giving him some more this week."
One has to wonder how much of Hunter's usage, or lack thereof, has to do with him ramping up from time missed last year. After all, Hunter played more snaps in Week 2 than he did in Week 1.
"It is a balancing act, though, right?" Coen said. "You're trying to get into a flow, whether it's on offense or defense. But we have corners that we have a lot of confidence in."
While no one player or position group decided the loss, Coen can't help but notice how the offensive production fell off a cliff in the final stanza.
Fourth quarter
| Broncos | Jaguars | |
|---|---|---|
Points | 14 | 0 |
Total yards | 124 | 41 |
10+ yard plays | 5 | 1 |
Cam Little missed a 54-yard field goal on Jacksonville's first possession of the fourth quarter, and the Jags received just one more possession -- which ended with a punt when Trevor Lawrence couldn't connect with Brian Thomas Jr. deep down the field on third-and-11. The Broncos then went 59 yards on 10 plays, and ran out the clock.
It appears Coen views Hunter as the seasoning that can spice up the offense when they need it most. Keep an eye on his usage when the Jags host Drake Maye and the New England Patriots this Sunday.
