To say there's a ton of anticipation surrounding the NFL debut and rookie season of Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter would be a severe understatement. The second overall pick out of Colorado, the youngster is quite possibly the most intriguing pro prospect to come down the pike in a long time.
Travis Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner, has played defensive back in college, along with his regular duties of catching and running the ball on offense. He wants to continue that trend in the National Football League. And while that's incredibly admirable, for the Jags' sake, he should eventually settle into a wide receiver's role for the long term.
Why the Jaguars should keep Travis Hunter at wide receiver
Playing receiver, Hunter immediately becomes a threat when he steps on the field. He's a raw talent, but someone the opposing defense cannot ignore. Even as a decoy on certain plays, his mere presence on the field can shake up the other sideline's mentality.
That alleviates a lot of the pressure on much-maligned quarterback Trevor Lawrence. And the potential pairing of the multi-talented Hunter with explosive receiver Brian Thomas Jr, and the 2025 Jacksonville Jaguars could have the most dangerous pass-catching combo in pro football.
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Jaguars Rookie Travis Hunter is sticking to his guns
While many think this is a simple matter of new Jaguars head coach Liam Cohen telling Hunter that he's strictly an offensive player, it's not quite that simple. Hunter is fully committed to being a revolutionary player in the NFL, and he's even stated (either seriously or in jest) that he would retire from football if he were asked to choose one side of the ball over the other.
“They say nobody has ever done it the way I do it,” Hunter said during the NFL scouting combine, before the Jaguars drafted him. “But I tell them I’m just different. I’m a different person. I have some of the top awards and the biggest award in college football, so I feel like I stamped myself.”
Hunter went so far as declaring that he would "rather quit football than only play one position".
The fanfare surrounding Hunter's arrival in Jacksonville is very well-deserved. He has the type of ability to be a franchise cornerstone- someone you build a Super Bowl-winning team around. But his true value is as a weapon on offense. He is so versatile that he could play receiver, line up in the backfield, or return kicks. But this obsession with playing defense needs to go.
Hunter can be a bigger asset (and earn more money for himself) by devoting himself fully to being one of the top wide receivers in the NFL. All the interceptions in the world aren't nearly as valuable as being a highlight reel pass catcher. The money, the fame, and the glory all go to those flashy wideouts, it seems.
As Hunter matures and begins to take stock of his true place in the National Football League, Jaguars fans can only hope that the 22-year-old rookie decides he likes catching passes more than deflecting them. He has the makings of a potent playmaker, but not if he stretches himself too thin.