Jacksonville Jaguars fans have been eager to see the way in which rookie wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter is deployed in game situations.
Well, they may find out as early as the Week 1 matchup with the Carolina Panthers. According to Jaguars general manager James Gladstone, Hunter will be used on both sides of the ball, as a receiver and a cornerback.
“There hasn’t been any shift on that front,” Gladstone said, according to Pro Football Talk NFL insider Michael David Smith. “We expect him to be who we know him to be, and that’s somebody who impacts both sides of the football. We can’t wait to see that on Sundays, and one Monday night, this season.”
Hunter's availability for Week 1 was in question after he was held out of some training camp practices and the final preseason game due to an upper-body injury.
Hunter's ability to play both offense and defense will help open up a roster spot for another player, according to Gladstone.
“It goes a long way,” Gladstone said. “You’ve got an extra active, essentially, somebody who’s going both ways.”
Hunter's preseason snap counts support Gladstone's prediction that Hunter will be used evenly on both sides of the ball. The rookie played 364 snaps in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 in the 15 practices. It was nearly a 50-50 split: 188 on offense and 176 on defense. In just 11-on-11 work, Hunter played 173 on offense and 168 on defense.
The Jaguars traded up to the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to select Hunter. First-year coach Liam Coen said last week that the team was treating the injury cautiously and did not want to risk Hunter further aggravating the issue.
MORE NFL NEWS:
- 49ers cut the son of an NFL Hall of Famer
- The latest on the Browns and RB Quinshon Judkins
- There are a lot of Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers trade rumors
- Shedeur Sanders gives a sassy answer about the possibility of being cut
- Deebo Samuel looking at a varied role under tutelage of Wes Welker
- The CFL could welcome Shilo and Shedeur Sanders