The Jaguars plan to use Travis Hunter primarily as a cornerback, not a full two-way player.
This decision follows Hunter's recovery from a season-ending knee injury in October.
The team addressed its receiver need by trading for Jakobi Meyers, reducing offensive reliance on Hunter.
Hunter was the No. 2 overall pick in 2025 after a major trade, initially expected to play both ways.
📖 Full Retelling
The Jacksonville Jaguars are reportedly planning to make former No. 2 overall draft pick Travis Hunter a full-time cornerback for the upcoming NFL season, according to an NFL Network report on Thursday night. This strategic shift, occurring in Jacksonville, marks a significant pivot from the initial plan for Hunter to be a two-way player at both cornerback and wide receiver, a role he excelled in during his college career at the University of Colorado. The decision is driven by his recovery from a major knee injury last season and the team's subsequent roster moves to bolster its receiving corps.
Hunter, who was selected with the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after a massive trade-up with the Cleveland Browns, suffered a season-ending torn LCL during a practice in late October, limiting him to just seven games in his rookie year. Prior to the injury, his impact was more pronounced on offense, where he caught 28 passes for 298 yards and a touchdown, compared to a quieter 15 tackles and three pass deflections on defense. His recovery is reportedly progressing "exceptionally well," but the team's calculus has changed since his departure from the lineup.
The Jaguars' front office, led by first-year General Manager James Gladstone, addressed the receiver need at the trade deadline by acquiring veteran Jakobi Meyers from the Las Vegas Raiders. Meyers performed strongly alongside Brian Thomas Jr. and Parker Washington, providing reliable production that lessens the immediate necessity for Hunter's offensive contributions. Consequently, the new plan is for Hunter to focus primarily on mastering the cornerback position, with the potential for limited, situational snaps on offense, effectively winding down the highly anticipated two-way experiment before it could fully materialize in the professional ranks.
Jakobi Meyers (born November 9, 1996) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the NC State Wolfpack and signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2019.
National Football League franchise in Jacksonville, Florida
The Jacksonville Jaguars (colloquially known as the Jags) are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team plays its home games at EverBan...
The NFL draft, officially known as the Annual Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the most common source of player recruitment in the National Football League (NFL). Each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order relative to its record in the previous y...
Travis Hunter Jr. (born May 18, 2003) is an American professional football cornerback and wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Jackson State Tigers and Colorado Buffaloes, winning the Heisman Trophy with the latter in 20...
The Travis Hunter two-way experiment with the Jacksonville Jaguars may be winding down before it ever fully gets off the ground. While Hunter is recovering "exceptionally well" from his season-ending knee injury — which he suffered in October of last season — the Jaguars plan to have Hunter be a "full-time" cornerback who contributes as a part-time wide receiver next season, NFL Network reported on Thursday night. Jacksonville selected Hunter with the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL draft after the Jaguars traded the No. 5, 36 and 126 picks in the 2025 draft and a 2026 first-round pick to the Cleveland Browns to move up three spots. The expectation was that Hunter would play both ways in the NFL, just as he did in college with the Colorado Buffaloes (2023-24). Even while splitting time at receiver and cornerback, Hunter delivered a Heisman Trophy season and established himself as one of college football’s most dynamic players. Hunter played in only seven games for the Jaguars last season before suffering a season-ending torn LCL during a late October practice. Prior to his injury, Hunter saw little production at cornerback, recording 15 combined tackles and three pass deflections. He made a bigger impact on offense, finishing with 28 receptions for 298 yards and one touchdown. Following the injury to Hunter, first-year Jaguars general manager James Gladstone traded with the Las Vegas Raiders for veteran wide receiver Jakobi Meyers at the NFL trade deadline. Meyers went on to play well alongside receivers Brian Thomas Jr. and Parker Washington down the stretch, totaling 42 receptions for 483 yards and three touchdowns across nine regular-season games in Jacksonville.
