After suffering a knee injury that cut his rookie campaign short, Travis Hunter will be back with the Jacksonville Jaguars for their season opener against the Cleveland Browns. Although he'll play cornerback full-time, the Jags aren't giving up on the two way any time soon, so the former Heisman Trophy winner could see a handful of snaps at receiver in the opener.
But even if Hunter barely plays offense in Week 1, he's in a prime position to validate Jacksonville's decision to trade up for him in the 2025 draft.
The Jaguars are reducing Travis Hunter's role at WR to make him better at corner
Bucky Brooks of NFL Media just took a deep look into how the Jaguars plan to use Travis Hunter next season. He says that by reducing his role on offense, Jacksonville will allow him to excel at corner.
"As a full-time starter at cornerback, Hunter shouldn't be asked to consume an expansive offensive playbook that clutters his mind and hurts his ability to flourish as a defender," Brooks wrote. "By giving him a smaller menu of offensive plays that change based on the weekly game plan, the Jaguars can deploy him when the ball is likely to head in his direction on a quick rhythm throw or a progression concept that makes him the primary read."
Brooks continued, "Additionally, Hunter's mere presence will create more opportunities for Washington, Meyers, and Thomas, with defensive coordinators sounding the alarm whenever No. 12 trots onto the field."
So basically, the Jags are going with the "less is more" approach, and it makes sense. They can afford to use Hunter as a corner, not because they don't need him on offense, but rather because they have Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington, and Jakobi Meyers.
Moreover, head coach Liam Coen plans to use more two and three-tight end sets next season, limiting the amount of receivers that will be on the field. On the occasions Jacksonville does use Hunter on offense, he's going to throw defenses off and create mismatches.
On the other hand, by allowing Hunter to fully focus on playing cornerback, he'll be able to reach his potential. Benjamin Solak of ESPN strongly believes that he can turn into an All-Pro. The Jaguars would be thrilled if he could become that kind of player even if he doesn't play two ways full-time.
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Travis Hunter's fist test awaits when the Jaguars play the Browns
Travis Hunter will start opposite Montaric Brown in Week 1. That means that he'll be matched up with veteran receiver Jerry Jeudy. Although Jeudy is coming off a somewhat underwhelming campaign, he's just a couple years removed from a 1,200-yard season, so the Jaguars cannot afford to take him lightly.
When Hunter isn't lined up against Jeudy, he'll shadow rookie KC Concepcion, one of the most highly touted receivers coming out of the 2026 draft. Simply put, the West Palm Beach, Florida native is going to have his hands full in the season opener, and a strong outing will go a long way toward showing that the Jags made the right call when they traded for him last year.
It's easy to forget it now, but before Hunter suffered the LCL injury in 2025, he had a breakout showing against the Los Angeles Rams, registering a pass deflection, along with eight receptions for 101 yards with one touchdown. Since being cleared to practice to start training camp, No. 12 hasn't shown any signs of injury and looks like his old self, so it's fair to assume that he'll have no trouble picking up where he left off in 2025.
When you add it all up, the Jaguars are setting up Travis Hunter to succeed. Don't be surprised if he dominates on defense in the season opener.
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