The Jacksonville Jaguars traded up to draft Travis Hunter second overall in 2025 because they believe he has the talent to change the landscape not just of football, but sports as a whole. The hype was understandable because he played two-ways full time at Colorado and was the highest-rated prospect at both receiver and cornerback. However, the former Heisman Trophy winner is off to a not-so-great start to his NFL career.
Hunter dealt with a steep learning curve as he learned the nuances of playing two positions at the pro level. And once he was beginning to hit his stride, a knee injury brought his rookie campaign to a premature end. The good news is that No. 12 is ahead of schedule in his recovery and should have no trouble picking up where he left off last year.
Having said that, pressure is mounting on him to prove that the Jaguars made the right call when they gave up a king's ransom to trade up for him. An NFL analyst, in particular, believes he's one of many 2025 draft picks in need of a big season.
The Jaguars need a big season from Travis Hunter
Nick Baumgadner of The Athletic came up with a list of 2025 draft picks who need a big season. He included Travis Hunter, pointing out that even he didn't have a big impact even before he suffered the LCL season-ending injury.
"The bigger issue, beyond his health, is that Hunter's impact during the first half of his rookie year was inconsistent," Baumgardner wrote. "After trading up to No. 2 for Hunter last spring, the Jaguars opted to use their rookie as a true two-way player — Hunter worked at wide receiver and cornerback during training camp, and he played on both sides of the ball in every game for which he was on the field."
While Hunter will continue to line up at receiver, he will tentatively play more cornerback next season. Baumberger believes that will allow him to flourish, as he'll be able to unlock his full potential.
"Even if you're in the camp that believes he should play more offense than defense, the point is that he'll be allowed to truly master the speed and detail required to succeed at one position. Once he does that — and it shouldn't take long, because Hunter's football instincts are elite — he'll be much closer to becoming the "unicorn" prospect the Jaguars still firmly believe he is," Baumberger wrote.
From the get-go, the Jags made it clear that they envisioned Hunter playing two ways for them and put together an onboarding to make it happen. He definitely showed progress in the offseason program. However, the West Palm Beach, Florida native also dealt with the growing pains that come with being a rookie when the regular season began.
Although Hunter wasn't outright bad, he didn't make many game-altering skills. But that all changed when he broke out against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7, hauling in eight receptions for 101 yards with one touchdown, and a game-defining pass breakout against Davante Adams.
Simply put, Hunter showcased what he could do in the NFL. But once it looked like the best was yet to come, he suffered a knee injury. Had the former Buffalo stayed healthy, there's a strong chance that he would have finished 2025 strong.
The Jaguars will definitely get more from Travis Hunter in 2026
Fortunately, Travis Hunter will be back at full strength and hasn't suddenly stopped being the talented player who took collegiate football by storm. On the other hand, he'll be under pressure to show that his game wasn't a fluke but rather the sign of things to come.
And that's the thing, Hunter kind of gets a pass for getting injured. No team expects players to miss time with injuries. But in the end, availability is the most important ability on the football field, and once he returns, he needs to prove that he's the game-changer Jacskonville envisioned.
Working in his favor is that Hunter has already dealt with the learning part of the process. And having a better grasp of the NFL, he should be able to lean on his instincts and talent to play. Moreover, the coaching staff has a better idea of how to split the workload and get the most out of him.
When you add it all up, Hunter is in prime position to put to rest any concerns about playing at a high level in the NFL.
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