The Jacksonville Jaguars traded up from No. 5 to No. 2 in the 2025 NFL Draft to select two-way University of Colorado stud Travis Hunter. Playing both wide receiver and cornerback, there is a lot to like about Hunter. Experts and analysts have been singing his praises since long before the recent draft.
Hunter brings tremendous upside
Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports writes that Hunter is sure to be “must-see TV” at the start of the season.
“Travis Hunter will be one of the more fascinating prospects to track throughout his rookie season,” Sullivan writes. “The Jaguars pulled off a blockbuster trade on Draft Day to move up to the No. 2 overall pick to bring Hunter to Jacksonville. Now, it’s going to be must-see TV on how the Jags use him. At Colorado, Hunter was a star wide receiver and cornerback, and it looks like Jacksonville will give him a shot to play both ways at the NFL level. The Heisman Trophy winner addresses key needs for the Jaguars at both receiver and corner, but maybe the most exciting angle will be Hunter lining up opposite of Brian Thomas Jr. within Liam Coen’s offense.”
But, Hunter isn’t perfect
For all of the well-deserved hype surrounding Hunter, there are some that raise questions about the Jacksonville rookie. The Draft Network is most concerned with his size and how that will translate to the next level:
One of Hunter’s biggest concerns is his lack of weight and body mass. He is a thin-framed CB who can struggle in press-man situations against bigger receivers. Into the route, he can be boxed out of position on inside-breaking routes where the receiver can use their body to shield him from the football—limiting his chances of playing through the pocket and forcing a PBU. Adding some weight and muscle mass can help negate this issue.
Hunter also needs to improve the consistency in his technique in press situations. In most of Hunter’s reps, he chooses a hard inside or outside leverage and plays something similar to a bail technique in zone. Hunter has some growth to make in press alignment to become more consistent and lose early in reps. He can be too anxious and aggressive in the contact window allowing receivers the opportunity to counter his punches. He will lean on using two-hand punches which can result in being quickly defeated and stacked/placed in trail position. Hunter can be moved off the spot and create a path for the receiver with sudden and strong jab steps. If beaten quickly, he has the speed to get back into phase but will look back for the ball instead of closing the space and playing the receiver first—causing sight loss of the ball in flight.
As a tackler, Hunter is willing to stick his face in the fire. That said, due to his frame, he is not an ideal candidate to step in on run support on a consistent basis.
These all may be valid criticisms and something to consider. If size is a concern (and it could be), then that also raises the question of durability. There are other players – like Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith – who had size issues, but the “Slim Reaper” has been extremely productive and healthy throughout his NFL career.
Perhaps Hunter’s durability would be more of a concern because he’s said he’s willing to play every snap on both sides of the ball. That’s probably not realistic for someone to get through an entire 17-game NFL season. The college season ends in December, and there was the dreaded “rookie wall” even when it was just 16 games.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Jaguars Travis Hunter’s Ceiling Comes With Question Marks appeared first on Heavy Sports.