The Jacksonville Jaguars raised eyebrows when the news broke that Travis Hunter will play corner full-time but will only have a part-time role at receiver next season. This came as a bit of a surprise because they were seemingly committed to seeing him play two ways full-time in the NFL when they drafted him second overall in 2025.
Having said that, just because Hunter will only play receiver part-time doesn't mean he won't be an integral piece of the offense. In fact, it would've been a bit naive to truly expect him to play two ways in the NFL without it taking a toll on him.
Either way, the Jaguars need Hunter more at corner because Greg Newsome and Montaric Brown are scheduled to hit free agency. Meanwhile, the Jags are stacked at receiver, with the trio of Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington, and Jakobi Meyers in the mix. Speaking of, one of them will benefit from the latest update.
Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. has been the subject of trade speculation
Brian Thomas Jr. took the league by storm as a rookie, registering 82 receptions for 1,282 yards with 10 touchdowns. Following his impressive 2024 season, he was expected to join the upper echelon of receivers in 2025, but instead regressed.
Drops, in particular, turned out to be an issue for the former LSU Tiger early in 2025. Couple that with the dearth of game-changing plays, and he became the subject of trade chatter. The Jaguars made it emphatically clear that he wasn't going anywhere, though, and he managed to play better to end the season. Nevertheless, the rumors didn't go away.
For starters, the Jags traded for Jakobi Meyers, who quickly became an integral piece on offense, and Parker Washington had a breakout season. Add the return of Travis Hunter from a knee injury, and it's easy to see why Thomas could be traded.
With the news that Hunter will only play receiver part-time, though, Thomas' odds of sticking around have increased substantially.
With Travis Hunter playing CB full-time, the Jaguars will continue to lean on Brian Thomas Jr.
When Travis Hunter went down with a knee injury last year, Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers, and Brian Thomas Jr. were the Jaguars' top receivers. That will probably be the same starting trio in 2025, with Hunter only having a part-time role.
Maybe if Hunter played receiver full-time, the Jaguars could consider trading Thomas. Heck, they would have no shortage of suitors because of his impressive rookie season. Having said that, the 2024 first-round pick played better as the season progressed.
You could even make the case that the team's brass is keeping Hunter at corner full-time precisely because he did enough late in 2025 to make him think that he'll bounce back.
Of course, plans can always change, and the possibility of a trade shouldn't be entirely ruled out. However, the news that Travis Hunter will mostly play corner in 2025 is probably a sign of the Jaguars' confidence in Brian Thomas Jr.