Travis Hunter's cornerback surge is giving Jaguars a tough two-way decision

Early in the offseason, the Jacksonville Jaguars said that Travis Hunter would continue to play two ways in 2026, like he did in his rookie campaign. However, the organization also acknowledged that the former Heisman Trophy winner would probably have a bigger role on defense because of expiring contracts. Four games into the season, he's indeed seen more playing time at corner and has barely logged any snaps at receiver.

In fact, Hunter didn't log any snaps on offense in the 22-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. And precisely because he's been so dominant at corner, perhaps the Jags should consider putting off their two-way vision.

Travis Hunter is becoming a lockdown corner for the Jaguars

After a slow start to the season, Travis Hunter has hit his stride at cornerback, giving up seven passes for 101 yards on 13 targets the past two games. But leaving aside that he's done a good job of shutting down opposing receivers, No. 12 has shown big-play capabilities on defense. He had his first career interception against the New England Patriots and would have recorded another in Week 4 if a roughing the passer penalty hadn't negated the play.

During his would-be interception, though, Hunter went viral because he juked wide receiver Tee Higgins and made him trip. But aside from his highlight-reel play that didn't count, the West Palm Beach native had two passes defensed and showcased a willingness to tackle. Not surprisingly, he was showered in praise after the game.

Benjamin Solak of ESPN was impressed with Hunter, noting that he "fully understood the kind of impact the guy the impact that guy could have on the game purely from the defensive side of the ball" after watching him play against the Bengals.

Hall of Fame inductee Champ Bailey was equally effusive in his praise of Hunter, arguing that he could be a top-5 cornerback.

"I really think he needs to butter his bread at corner. Like that's that's what you. I believe that because I think he's unique there, and he can separate himself there," Bailey said on the Kay Adams Show. "At receiver, it's just so many things have to work out for you to be great at it. Don't get me wrong. I think he could be great at either, but if he focuses on one, oh my god!"

Now, Hunter played all snaps on defense in Week 4 because cornerback Montaric Brown didn't suit up. Heck, head coach Liam Coen stated that the team even had some things prepared for him at receiver but didn't ultimately use him on offense.

This means that Hunter could see time at receiver throughout the year, but maybe Jacksonville shouldn't tweak what's working.

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The Jaguars need to consider shelving their two-way plan for Travis Hunter (at least temporarily)

While Travis Hunter could excel at either receiver or corner, he may be quickly finding out that it's not feasible to play two ways full-time. Maybe the fact that he's thriving at cornerback will make the Jaguars reconsider how they'll using moving forward.

This doesn't mean that Hunter should outright stop playing offense. But it doesn't make sense to give him a substantial role at receiver when Jacksonville is stacked at the position. Moreover, he's finding his footing at corner; the team probably won't want to stall his growth.

Simply put, Travis Hunter is quickly becoming a pivotal piece on defense, and the Jaguars will probably be better off not changing their current formula. Down the road, who knows? But at this moment, he needs to fully focus on becoming the best possible corner he can be.

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