Expected to bounce back after a humbling loss to the Seattle Seahawks the game prior, the Jacksonville Jaguars struggled in all three phases against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7.
The offense managed to rack up yards but couldn't put points on the scoreboard. The defense, on the other hand, couldn't slow down the Los Angeles passing attack, giving up a concerning 35 points despite the fact that star receiver Puka Naku sat out the matchup. To add insult to injury, Cam Little failed a field goal, and a would-be touchdown return by Parker Washington was nullified by an illegal block penalty.
But as underwhelming as Jacksonville looked in the London game, not everything was doom and gloom. There were a few bright spots (although not that many). One of them was two-way star Travis Hunter, who hauled in a season-best eight receptions for 101 yards with a touchdown, his first ever as a pro. Rightly, a prominent NFL voice is urging the Jaguars to give him more playing time.
An NFL voice argues the Jaguars are better when they feed Travis Hunter
Justin Melo of The Draft Network believes the Jaguars have no option but to give Travis Hunter a bigger role at receiver after his much-anticipated breakout game, noting that their offense was more efficient when the reigning Heisman Trophy winner was featured.
"The Jaguars' offense was most efficient and dangerous when Hunter was making plays," Melo wrote. "The No. 2 overall selection in the 2025 NFL draft posted a team-high 2.3 Points Added (EPA), per RBSDM."
Melo continued, "Coen also displayed a willingness to move Hunter around the offensive formation in search of advantageous match-up opportunities. Hunter played 41% of his receiving snaps on the boundary and 59% in the slot, per Matt Harmon. The Jaguars are clearly getting comfortable with putting more on his plate as he handles more versatile receiver duties."
Later in his breakdown, Melo acknowledges that Hunter's production took place when the game was out of reach, but the end result should be encouraging enough to incentivize the Jaguars to continue to maximize his skill set.
"Hunter's raw usage numbers remain incredibly encouraging, however, and Coen needs to ensure he continues maximizing his skill set," Melo said.
It's time for the Jaguars to unlock Travis Hunter
Before the game, Liam Coen vowed to get Travis Hunter more involved at receiver moving forward. True to his word, the West Palm Beach native got the most playing time he's had as a rookie and didn't disappoint. By now, you may be wondering why the Jags didn't do this earlier. The answer isn't as clear-cut.
Maybe they wanted to, but he wasn't ready. Perhaps the coaching staff wanted to make Brian Thomas Jr. the featured receiver. But regardless of the reason, it's time to unlock Hunter. Sure, most of his production came in garbage time, but that's where the coaching staff comes in. It must take a look at what worked against the Rams and put the dynamic rookie in a position to succeed. At this point, it may be the best course of action.
After all, Jacksonville has wanted to get Hunter, Parker Washington, and Dyami Brown involved, but none have been able to take advantage of their opportunities. Why not give those targets to someone who is hungry and wants to make plays?
Now, there's a strong chance Hunter will regress at some point in his rookie season, but that shouldn't deter the Jaguars from featuring him on offense. Most first-year players will experience growing pains, but he showed he can come through if called upon.
The Jaguars now enter their BYE week. If they want to make tweaks to Travis Hunter's onboarding and put more on his plate, this is the time. He's proven he can take on it.