The Jacksonville Jaguars remain committed to Travis Hunter‘s two-way future, but not everyone is convinced that will translate into a breakout season at wide receiver in 2026.
In a recent evaluation of the NFL’s top second year receivers, Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton placed a “sell” label on Hunter’s stock heading into his sophomore campaign, and the reasoning isn’t complicated.
“With a bigger role at cornerback, he may see a reduction in his pass-catching role, especially with the quality of talent in the wide receiver room.”
The numbers don’t help his case
GettyJags WR/CB Travis Hunter
Travis Hunter played just seven games in 2025 before going down… In that time, he caught 28 passes for 298 yards and a touchdown on 67 percent of offensive snaps while also playing 36 percent of defensive snaps.
He was trending up before his LCL injury as his best game came in week 7 against the Los Angeles Rams where he caught eight passes for 104 yards and his first NFL TD. But he never got to build on it.
Now the Jaguars want more of him on defense. GM James Gladstone said on the Rich Eisen Show that Hunter’s defensive snap count will increase in 2026. Head coach Liam Coen has backed that message throughout the offseason.
Hunter has spent much of the spring in Jacksonville’s virtual walk-through room burning defensive reps, 25 to 30 minutes at a time multiple times per day by his own account. That’s not the preparation of a team planning to feature someone at receiver.
Travis Hunter’s not sweating it
GettyJags WR/CB Travis Hunter
Even if Travis Hunter’s knee is good by September, his path to targets isn’t clear… Parker Washington led the Jaguars in catches (58) and yards (847) last season. Jakobi Meyers, acquired from the Raiders before last year’s trade deadline, gets a full offseason with Trevor Lawrence. Brian Thomas Jr., who had five drops in six games, is motivated to bounce back toward his 2024 rookie Pro Bowl form.
That’s a crowded room. Hunter would need a defined role to justify fantasy or production expectations, and right now Jacksonville’s offseason signals point toward cornerback.
To his credit, Hunter isn’t losing sleep over the chatter. He’s heard it before.
“It didn’t bother me,” Hunter said when asked about how people saying he could only play one way made him feel. “They’ve been doing that my whole career.”
Hunter doesn’t have a timetable to return to full practice yet, but he said his knee felt good and he wasn’t wearing a brace during OTA appearances. Full participation is likely to come sometime during training camp, with the season opener against Cleveland on September 13.
The optimistic case for Travis Hunter at receiver still exists. He’s very talented on both sides of the ball, and if the Jacksonville Jaguars defense needs him less, the offensive coaches will find ways to get him the ball.
But as a wide receiver without a defined role, coming off of a major knee surgery, with more defensive responsibility ahead, the hype outruns the situation right now.
NFL Analyst Throws Cold Water on Travis Hunter Breakout Hype