Elder Jaguars defender explains why the Travis Hunter hype train is off the rails

Even though Travis Hunter has had a strong offseason, there's been skepticism about his ability to play two ways for the Jacksonville Jaguars full-time. However, one of his teammates believes the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner should have no trouble dominating both sides of the ball for a long time.

Josh Hines-Allen made an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show and said that Hunter has been everything the Jags bargained for and then some, pointing out that the rookie has been setting the tone in practice.

"I mean, outside of what everybody else sees, you know, dancing and having fun outside of there. He's a super competitive player. He wants to win," Hines-Allen told host Rich Eisen when asked what he's seen in Hunter (7:49 mark). "Like, you talking about talking [expletive]. This is the funniest thing I always thought about with Travis. Before we started practicing, awesome. I'm like, Okay, if he's going to play both sides of the ball, that's awesome."

Hines-Allen continued, "Have the best playmakers on the field at all times, cool. But how is he going to respond by, you know, talking [expletive] to each other and then having the next day go to that room with them. That was the biggest thing I thought he's going to have to challenge. When you play with him, everybody wants to challenge him because we want to see what you're made of."

Later in the exchange, Hines-Allen says that there's no doubt in his mind that Hunter will play two ways.

"I believe so. I think. I mean, what plagues every NFL player or any professional athlete is injuries. I think if he can allow himself to stay healthy and take care of that, getting the hyperbaric machine. I think he has a great career ahead of him, both sides of the ball. Again, if he's the best DB, is he the best wide receiver? Who knows, but is he a great playmaker on both sides involved? Yes, he is."

Not long ago, former NFL offensive lineman Willie Colon urged Jacksonville to listen to what players were saying about Hunter and have him exclusively play cornerback. If that's the case, Hines-Allen's confidence in Hunter should be proof that he's capable of playing two ways in the NFL.

Josh Hines-Allen is confident Travis Hunter will play 2 ways for the Jaguars

There's no doubt that Travis Hunter will play two ways as a rookie. The biggest question is whether he can do it on a full-time basis, and not because he's not capable of doing it, but rather because the Jaguars are loaded at both cornerback and wide receiver.

Of course, you want your first-round picks, especially those selected in the top 5, to get as much playing time as possible and make an impact right off the bat. However, Hunter may not have a featured role as a rookie and may be brought along instead. With Brian Thomas Jr., Dyami Brown, and Parker Washington in the fold, the former Colorado Buffalo could be WR3 in 2025.

Similarly, the Jaguars have Montaric Brown, Tyson Campbell, Jarrian Jones, and Jourdan Lewis at cornerback. All four could start, so Hunter may get several snaps every game but won't get a featured role.

Either way, the Jaguars are getting Hunter ready for the regular season. He started his onboarding at receiver because of how complex the position is, but he began to line up on defense at mandatory camp. Expect his reps to increase as he grows more comfortable.

Ultimately, the Jags know they have a game-altering talent in Hunter, and they won't hold him back. Instead, they'll manage his workload to ensure he performs to the best of his capabilities on both sides of the ball. Josh Hines-Allen is certain he'll pull it off.

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