Jaguars would unleash Travis Hunter's full potential with these reinforcements

Jacksonville Jaguars fans should be ecstatic to see Travis Hunter unleashed as a full-time cornerback during the 2026 season. Hunter flashed nicely as a rookie wide receiver, but the Jags are stacked at that position, and his skills will be much better served on defense for now.

Jaguars GM James Gladstone rocked the boat with his draft day trade for Hunter last year. Now is the time for Hunter to prove the merits of that audacious move.

But no single player in the NFL can do anything alone. Each side of the ball takes 11 men working in unison to execute at the highest level. To enhance Hunter's individual impact even more, Jacksonville should strongly consider the following trio of free agents.

Jaguars GM James Gladstone can maximize Travis Hunter's ceiling with these 3 signings in NFL free agency

Coby Bryant, S, Seattle Seahawks

Gladstone hails from the Rams' front office. He got an up-close look at Coby Bryant in the NFC West for multiple years. Bryant began his time in Seattle at nickelback before transitioning to safety and thriving the past couple seasons.

Tackling has never really been Bryant's strong suit since he started serving as the Seahawks' center fielder in the secondary. Nevertheless, he's seldom out of position versus the run, and the Jags were the No. 1 run defense in the NFL last year.

What Jacksonville could really use is another sound coverage safety next to Antonio Johnson. Bryant is a beautiful fit for the Jags in that regard, yielding a 78.2 passer rating since 2024 with seven INTs, per PFF. Johnson let up a 55.5 passer rating and nabbed five INTs in 2025.

Rather than overpaying for a third pass rusher in the trenches, Jacksonville would be wise to splurge on a high-caliber safety in Bryant who can catalyze more coverage sacks in 2026.

David Onyemata, DT, New Orleans Saints

Defensive tackle is a great position for the Jags to invest in during the NFL Draft. Arik Armstead and DaVon Hamilton are both headed for free agency in 2027. It may seem strange to target another veteran defensive tackle, but this is about going all-in for a Super Bowl.

David Onyemata could, in essence, sign the equivalent of a one-plus-one NBA contract. Lots of guarantees in Year 1, plenty of flexibility for both parties to move on in Year 2.

Armstead is still an effective pass rusher. Hamilton is the ultimate "don't box score scout me" guy who's a pivotal anchor for that elite Jaguars run defense. Onyemata would function as a key piece in the rotation who can pressure the pocket but also hold up plenty well in the running game.

What Onyemata does is raise the ceiling of the Jags' defensive tackle position, which sports dubious depth behind their two bigger names. Having a core trio as experienced and stout as this one with Onyemata added to the mix would keep everyone fresh, and make Hunter's job on the back end that much more manageable.

Another cool anecdote: Onyemata only had a 4.8% missed tackle rate last season. Hamilton was decent in that area at 10.3%. Armstead was up at 15.4% after a 16.7% miss clip in 2024.

Jack Jones, CB, Miami Dolphins

This will require some explanation — and is only really worthwhile if the Jags can't retain Montaric Brown!

The harsh reality for the Jags is that they don't have much money to spend on the open market. Short of restructuring every contract in sight, they'll be hard-pressed to score more than one marquee fere agent in addition to retaining Devin Lloyd.

Necessary context to add before stumping for Jack Jones as Jacksonville's boundary CB2 opposite Hunter, methinks.

Jones had a promising first couple seasons in New England as a strong cover corner, but struggled in that department the past two years in Las Vegas and Miami. Not what you'd call a pair of elite defenses.

Here's why Jones is so appealing: He's a guesser. He's guessed wrong more often than not of late, yet you can't deny that Jones has a knack for diagnosing plays and making big splashes.

With Hunter expected to lock up one half of the field, Jones is the ultimate wild card who'll scare the daylights out of a QB who wants to challenge him. Will he get beat on his fair share of chunk plays? Recent history almost guarantees that'll be the case.

However, if Jones had Hunter and an elite safety tandem of Johnson and Bryant, he'd have unprecedented freedom to do his thing. That's not intended as a backhanded compliment. It's a genuinely rosy outlook for Jones, who could be one of the best hidden values on the free agent market at any position.