Why Week 2 of the preseason will tell a lot about which side of the ball the Jaguars favor with Travis Hunter in 2025
It could go a long way.
Travis Hunter is an enigma that we have never really seen in the NFL.
Sure, players have dabbled out of their position or maybe you had Deion Sanders play a little WR, but never in the modern NFL have we seen a player go full-time on both sides of the ball.
If Week 1 of the preseason showed us anything, it’s that the Jaguars plan to do just that and Week 2 might confirm it…
Travis Hunter plays nearly identical offensive-defensive split in his preseason debut
Hunter played 18 snaps in his debut against the Steelers, 10 of which came on offense, and the remaining eight on defense. Within that, Hunter was targeted three times on offense, catching two passes for nine yards, while receiving no targets on defense.
He did miss a tackle against fellow rookie Kaleb Johnson, but his performance was relatively unremarkable.
Which leads us to Week 2 of the preseason. Hunter will likely play more than the mere 18 snaps he did last Saturday. Let’s say he doubles his number. If he ends up anywhere within 18-24 snaps on both sides of the ball, I think it’s safe to say that he will be playing both ways at a very high clip in 2025.
And if not? The question would turn to what changes, or what side of the ball he dominates. At that point, I think you have to go corner. Sure, Hunter can be an excellent WR and his pairing with Brian Thomas Jr. would be an electric duo.
But not only do the Jaguars need corners, Hunter is better at corner than he is WR. He can be a Pro Bowl WR if he peaks right and everything comes together. But he can be an All-Pro, Hall of Fame-caliber corner if he stays healthy.
That’s how good he is in coverage, how instinctive he is when reading plays, and most obvious, how great his ball skills are given his experience on the other side of the ball.
But to this point, there is no evidence that the Jaguars plan on limiting him to one side of the ball and that’s good for everyone involved.
Because when you have greatness, the last thing you want to do is put constraints on it.
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