It appears as though the Jacksonville Jaguars and their fanbase can add yet another hater and doubter to the ever-growing list of names who don't believe that No. 2 overall pick and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter can play wide receiver and cornerback at the same time.
Former NFL head coach Eric Mangini is very pessimistic regarding Hunter's chances to play both ways in the pros. Mangini believes the physical beating Hunter's body will take in that role will be too much for him to overcome while also mentioning that coaches will be creating all sorts of ways to target a fatigued Hunter.
"He's shown that he's built different, but there's a significant difference between college football and the NFL," Mangini said. "You're adding the five games plus whatever you're playing in the preseason. The quality of players you're playing against is good every week."
Mangini also noted that coaches will try to take advantage of the fact that Hunter is not a particularly physical tackler at 175 pounds, saying teams will try to make him tackle as much in the open field as possible.
Eric Mangini believes Jaguars star Travis Hunter won't be able to play both offense and defense
Mangini is correct in noting that Hunter was so much more athletically gifted than 99% of the players he played against in college that he can use raw talent alone to dominate on both ends. Hunter will need to prove he can be either a good receiver or cornerback in the pros before he can master both at the same time.
Taking the contrasting viewpoint, Hunter's old head coach in Deion Sanders believes that Hunter will be able to play both ways effectively in the NFL. The pros are much more physical, yes, but college games have more plays run and often operate at a much quicker pace. Conditioning-wise, Hunter could benefit from downtime in the NFL.
There seems to be less debate over Hunter's merits as a wide receiver in the NFL, as the Biletnikoff award winner should be able to use his unprecedented athletic ability and quickness to easily dust corners in the NFL. Shutting down 200-pound receivers right after that, however, might be where this scheme falls apart.
It remains to be seen if the Jaguars will be able to turn Hunter into the type of player he was at Colorado. However, if anyone has the athletic ability needed to accomplish this seemingly impossible task, look no further than Hunter.