The Jacksonville Jaguars had a few building blocks in place, but needed to get difference-makers in the offseason if they wanted to have hopes of making a playoff push and competing for the AFC South title in 2025. One look at the roster shows that they accomplished the goal. They addressed several needs and raised the roster floor with several intriguing additions. The biggest one, without a doubt, was Travis Hunter. The consensus agrees he gives the Jags a once-in-a-generation playmaker.
Just recently, an ESPN panel discussed the best, worst, and most surprising picks in this past NFL Draft. Sport betting analyst Pamela Maldonado chose Hunter as her favorite pick, citing his ability to play both ways at a high level.
"Wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter to the Jaguars (No. 2). This trade up was bold and exactly what this team needed. Hunter is a unicorn with his ability to be a shutdown corner and playmaker. His infectious energy could reinvigorate Jacksonville's entire locker room."
Following the draft, questions have surfaced about Hunter's viability to line up at cornerback and wide receiver full-time in the NFL, a feat he pulled off at Colorado. But even if he's on a snap count or specializes in one side of the ball, he should have an immediate impact in Jacksonville. Heck, he's got favorable odds to win the Rookie of the Year award on both offense and defense! That's how talented he is.
Aside from Maldonado, Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus also sees Hunter as a generational talent, bringing up his receiving and coverage grades of at least 89.0 last year while "logging over 1,500 snaps across 13 games."
You will find a few analysts and talking heads who believe the Jags paid too much to move up from No. 5 to No. 2 to select Hunter, especially because he's a non-quarterback. However, they didn't seem to mind paying a premium to be in a position to acquire a sport-altering talent. And that's the thing: if the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner turns out to be as dominant as he's expected, Jacksonville will be glad it parted ways with what amounts to be a second-round pick in 2025 and a first next year.
The Jaguars have a plan on how to use the sport-altering Travis Hunter
Before the NFL Draft, Travis Hunter stated that he wouldn't play for a team that didn't let him play two ways. Fortunately, the Jacksonville Jaguars made it clear that they wouldn't impose such limitation on him. In fact, they already had a plan in place to bring the West Palm Beach, Florida native along. That's refreshing because it shows that they aren't figuring things out on the fly but have already laid out the best possible way to get him ready to contribute as soon as possible.
So, how do the Jags plan to handle Hunter's development? He'll start his onboarding process mainly at wide receiver but will progressively get more time at cornerback as the regular season gets closer. One key advantage Jacksonville has is that it won't be exclusively leaning on the former Buffalo to contribute. The front office made enough upgrades at both receiver and cornerback that he won't have to carry the team on his shoulders.
Granted, it may sound counterintuitive, but the Jaguars cannot put too much on Hunter's plate right off the bat. That's why they have players such as Trevor Lawrence, Josh Hines-Allen ready to step up. And once he gets acclimated to the NFL, he'll join them as some of the team's best players.