Travis Hunter remains one of the most tantalizing talents in the NFL.
He won the Heisman Trophy at Colorado by playing two ways, legitimately a full-time wide receiver and cornerback. It’s why the Jacksonville Jaguars traded up in the 2025 NFL Draft to take him with the No. 2 overall pick.
Hunter hasn’t quite worked out so far, but it’s early. The dreams won’t stop yet.
He has played both positions in the NFL, too, albeit not as full-time as he was in college.
Hunter also missed the second half of his rookie season with an injury, which is part of the reason he never fully settled into any kind of role to begin with.
In Week 1, he got snaps on both sides of the ball in a convincing win over the Cleveland Browns.
The Jags will likely look to continue figuring out what Hunter can do when they play the Denver Broncos in Week 2.
Is Travis Hunter Playing Offense or Defense Today?
The expectation is that Hunter will continue to play on both sides of the ball going forward.
He isn’t likely to be a consistent offensive performer, though, at least while starting wide receivers Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers are healthy.
Hunter’s full-time role this season was suggested as being cornerback by Liam Coen in the preseason, and that seems to be the way it’s playing out.
Hunter got four offensive snaps in Week 1, compared to 29 on the defensive side.
Travis Hunter’s Week 1 Offensive Usage
Hunter was on the field for four specific plays on offense with the Jaguars in Sunday’s game.
One of them was a jet sweep — where the receiver motions across the formation right past the quarterback to receive a handoff. Hunter took that carry for three yards.
Another was a bubble screen to fellow wide receiver Jakobi Meyers.
Hunter then received a tunnel screen to himself — Hunter dekes as if to go downfield but then comes back to receive a pass and try to follow his offensive linemen. He got eight yards on that play.
The fourth offensive play Hunter had ended in a touchdown pass from Lawrence to tight end Brenton Strange, but Hunter didn’t move past the line-of-scrimmage on that play as he didn’t really have a route.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell noted in analyzing the Jags that Hunter didn’t run a route past the line of scrimmage.
He also played 52% of defensive snaps, which is evidently where he’ll be used more.
It could still change week to week, but the heavier defense compared to offense ratio appears to be the way it will work in the early going this season.
Is Travis Hunter Playing Offense or Defense Today? Jaguars’ Plan for Week 2 vs. Broncos