Less than 10 days to go until Jacksonville’s season opener against the Browns, but the obsession surrounding Travis Hunter’s two-way role, how the reps are divided, and whether he’s playing on one side of the ball full-time is the question of 2026.
Even though head coach Liam Coen is selling Hunter’s two-way vision the best he can, training camp reports clearly have Hunter practicing exclusively at CB.
Throughout the offseason, insiders have listed Hunter as a primary cornerback for the Jaguars, with occasional snaps at receiver. If that’s the case and Jaguars can’t figure out a doable two-way plan for Hunter, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell predicts a pretty worrisome future post-2026.
ESPN Insider Drops Warning for Jaguars and Travis Hunter
“What happens in 2026 might play a huge role in determining how often we see the 2025 second overall pick mix things up at wide receiver. The Jaguars didn’t seem to have a consistent plan for Hunter on defense last year,” Barnwell writes.
Barnwell’s caution isn’t coming out of nowhere; it’s rooted in how erratic Jacksonville’s handling of Hunter was during his injury-shortened rookie campaign.
Last year, the usage was a complete statistical rollercoaster—skirting under 10 defensive snaps twice, spiking past 40 in others, and flashing elite flashes on offense (like that 101-yard breakout against the Rams) right before a brutal LCL tear cut the experiment short.
When you’re trying to build a true two-way weapon, erratic snap distribution is the quickest way to stall a high-end draft pick’s development.
The front office and Coen loves talking about Hunter’s two-way dream, but the roster math in Duval doesn’t add up. The Jaguars are heavily stocked at wide receiver, meaning forcing him into a 50/50 offensive split right out of the gate—especially coming off major knee rehab—is a luxury the depth chart simply doesn’t support.
Can Travis Hunter Truly Play Both Ways?
And it’s also about how desperately the defense needs Hunter to survive, whereas in the offense, he is basically locked in a logjam with Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington and Brian Thomas Jr.
Jacksonville’s secondary was bleeding yardage last year, ranking near the bottom tier of the league in pass defense.
Pushing Hunter toward a corner-heavy workload isn’t just about managing an injury recovery—it’s a desperate defensive band-aid. With their back end is porous, luxury offensive experiments have to take a back seat to stopping the bleeding on the perimeter.
The only way Barnwell sees Hunter taking snaps on both sides is that he proves he can stay healthy and make an impact.
“If he gets hurt, or if the Jaguars aren’t able to carve out a meaningful role on one side or the other for their most interesting player, he might be something closer to a full-time wide receiver or (more likely) cornerback in 2027.”
It’s a challenge for both, for the Jaguars to figure out a two-way plan that actually works, and for Hunter to actually pull it off.
ESPN Insider Drops Heavy Travis Hunter Warning on Jaguars Before Week 1