Jaguars Draft Review: Travis Hunter is Generational

When the Jacksonville Jaguars hired head coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone this offseason, it was clear they needed to make a serious move to show they are serious about winning football games in 2025 following a disastrous 4-13 season in the prior regime.

That move was trading up for the No. 2 overall selection with the Cleveland Browns to select Colorado superstar and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, a rare player who is outstanding at playing both wide receiver and cornerback.

Hunter is one of the most consequential draft choices by the Jaguars since their selection of quarterback Trevor Lawrence four years ago. It is a pick that will define this new regime and how the franchise performs in the coming years. The expectations for Hunter and his unique skill set are astronomical at the moment.

I have watched many draft prospects over the last several years and Hunter is truly one of the rarest players I've ever watched and evaluated. He was my top-rated player in the 2025 draft, and the No. 1 wide receiver and cornerback prospect in the draft.

This should tell you how generational of a player this is: we've never seen anyone like him, and the possibilities of what he could become. Frankly, we might be talking about the Shohei Ohtani of football with Hunter. I dove into his film from the last two seasons and my opinion has not changed about him as a player.

Let's dive into some analysis of the Jaguars first pick to see what he could bring to the table on both sides of the ball.

Hunter, the Wide Receiver

Hunter is an explosive athlete who plays as such in almost everything he does at the position. He is one of those rare, world-class athletes with elite stamina to play on both ends. That includes outstanding foot speed, hip flexibility, and body control, which create crazy change of direction moments in space.

Hunter offers rare ball skills and tracking ability along with exceptional run-after-catch skills. His hand-eye coordination is wicked, which allows him to play in contested-catch situations and win almost consistently, while his explosiveness and quickness in the open field allow for incredible plays after the catch. Hunter's tracking ability of the ball is high level, and he has shown to gather passes well to transition.

WR/CB Travis Hunter #NFLDraft

Jump Up and Through
High-Point
Sandwiched
Embraces Fall pic.twitter.com/v27f4hm3eS
— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) December 13, 2024

The former Jackson State standout is also an elite route runner and separator who will stress corners in coverage. He'll use a variety of releases at the line of scrimmage to win early in his reps while showcasing an impressive jab-step and the ability to lean into the leverage and utilize his superb body control to win at the top of routes.

The versatility as a wideout that Hunter possesses is terrific, showing he can play from any alignment he is asked to. Yet, this is a player who doesn't have the requisite play strength you may want from the position and could be a little bit more disciplined with his releases.

Hunter, the Cornerback

At cornerback, Hunter’s ball skills as a wideout translate exceptionally to the defensive side of the ball. For this specific position, they’re ample and rare, with great tracking ability and awareness to high-point and play through contact. Hunter also has size, athleticism, and fluidity to be, at worst, a sufficient-level defender.

The former Colorado star is an outstanding zone corner with uncanny awareness and football intelligence, both of which allow him to bait quarterbacks and anticipate throws against different route combinations while also allowing him to pass off or carry routes. Some of his best interceptions come from elite eye-discipline and awareness in this area of his game.

This is a player that also offers superior fluidity, short-area quickness, twitch, long speed, and hip sinkage that allow him to be a sound man corner, whether it's as a soft, off-man, and press-man defender. He can change direction on a dime and has the click-and-close to drive to the nearest pass-catcher and make a play.

Hunter has shown to be a willing run defender, but must improve his play strength to play through contact and get off blockers more consistently. He must also grow with his consistency at the line of scrimmage, a sign of his average to slightly below-average play strength as a player.

Travis Hunter's highs at CBs are very high pic.twitter.com/xrCJLWsPG0
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) February 17, 2025

What to make of Hunter in the NFL

This is something I have written a lot about for Jaguars On SI in recent months. It is a discussion that will not slow down until Hunter steps onto the field on either side of the ball. Early in the post-draft process, however, Coen and Gladstone made it clear that Hunter would be a starting wide receiver for them to start while sprinkling in reps as a cornerback with defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile.

As a wide receiver, Hunter has the ceiling to be one of the 10 to 15 best pass-catchers at his position alongside teammate Brian Thomas Jr., whereas at cornerback, I envision him as a future starting No. 1 cornerback with the ceiling to be a Top 5 perimeter player year in and out with room to improve. With Tyson Campbell already in that role and questions around his ability to play both sides of the ball, this might seem unlikely.

However, never say never. We have never seen anyone like Hunter before, and what he is attempting to do is extraordinary. To start is career, look for him to be the No. 2 pass-catcher in the Jaguars offense while being a rotating cornerback with Buster Brown, Jourdan Lewis, and Jarrian Jones opposite of Campbell, giving Jacksonville a quality group of defenders.

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