Ideally, you want your rookie class to contribute as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the Jacksonville Jaguars haven't gotten much production from their 2025 NFL Draft picks because of injuries.
The good news is that most of their rookie will be back at full strength next year, and one of them is still making headlines despite the fact that he last played nearly two months ago. Based on the headline, you know who we're talking about.
Travis Hunter is the strongest Jaguars building block from the 2025 draft class
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report recently put together a list of the strongest building blocks for each NFL team. He picked Travis Hunter for the Jags, noting that the former Heisman Trophy winner still has a promising future in spite of suffering a season-ending knee injury. Here's the skinny.
"A major knee injury obviously marred Hunter's rookie season, but the two-way No. 2 overall pick still has a very bright future," Gagnon wrote. "His last game of the year was also his first 100-yard receiving performance as a pro, and opposing quarterbacks had a sub-70 passer rating on throws into his coverage."
As Gagnon noted, Hunter showed out in a Week 7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, hauling in eight receptions for 101 yards. Although he wasn't nearly as productive in other games, he still flashed the potential that made him the top prospect at both receiver and corner in this year's draft.
On defense, the West Palm Beach, Florida native didn't have any splash plays but showed lockdown capabilities, giving up a completion rate of 60.0 percent and a solid 10.7 yards per reception. Had he not gotten hurt, there's a chance he would've been even better at the end of the season.
Related: The Jaguars are being urged to take care of Trevor Lawrence's longevity in the 2026 NFL Draft
Travis Hunter should make a significant leap in Year 2
When the Jaguars moved up to draft Travis Hunter, they did so because they believe he's a sport-altering talent. At the time, they couldn't have predicted that he was going to suffer a knee injury, but that shouldn't force them to abandon their plan to unleash him as a two-way player.
Sure, critics have pointed out that Hunter got hurt because he played two positions full-time, but that argument falls under the slightest scrutiny when you take into account that players across the NFL, veterans or rookies, get hurt all the time.
Of course, the injury stalled Hunter's transition to the NFL, but the Jaguars have a massive advantage going into Year 1. They have a better understanding of how to get the most out of him. Given that the former Colorado Buffalo was the first player slated to play two ways full-time in the modern era, Jacksonville had no precedent on how to get him acclimated.
Although the Jags had an onboarding, they had to make tweaks as the offseason progressed to manage Hunter's workload. Having dealt with this last year, the team's brass should have a better idea of how to get the most out of him.
The bottom line is that Travis Hunter's rookie season didn't end the way the Jaguars expected, but that should just be another hurdle to clear. And once he's back in the fold, he'll have no trouble picking up where he left off.