The 3 Areas Travis Hunter Must Help the Jaguars the Most in 2026

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Few players have ability to tip the scales for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2026 like Travis Hunter.

Even for a player who won the Heisman Trophy and went No. 2 overall in the draft a year ago, those are lofty expectations. The Jaguars went 9-1 during the 10 games they did not have Hunter, not really hitting their stride until later in the season. That, of course, could mean that adding Hunter back to the mix could make the Jaguars even better than ever.

"But to me, it's like, we played half a season without our first-round draft pick and at two positions. So, it's like, alright, what can that look like when he actually is in a rhythm and routine, understands it, is fully immersed in it with everybody and how we got to be as a team? I'm excited about what that looks like," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said about this very idea in March.

So, where exactly can Hunter help the Jaguars the most in his second season? We break it down in a few different areas below.

YAC Dominance

One area Hunter could help the Jaguars in, even in a potentially limited role on offense that changes week to week, is yards after the catch. Perhaps the thing Hunter did best as a rookie was forcing defenders to miss in space and making plays after the catch, with several such plays serving as sparks for the Jaguars' offense during the first seven weeks of the season. If he can do that even a few times in specific games, then the Jaguars' offense could be all the more dangerous.

According to NextGenStats, the Jaguars ranked No. 24 in team yards after the catch last year and No. 21 in yards after the catch over expectation. Hunter ranked fifth on the Jaguars' offense with 155 yards after the catch despite playing in only seven games and was No. 2 in YAC over expectation. He likely would have finished first in both categories had he never gotten injured, and this is an area where he could easily help the Jaguars once again.

Parker Washington is a gifted player after the catch, but Hunter is still the Jaguars' best weapon with the ball in his hands. For that reason alone, he can make this offense even better than it was down the stretch.

Ball Skills

This is one area where Hunter can help the Jaguars on both sides of the ball. Hunter made several highlight reel catches where he was able to win the ball in the air last season, doing so with big plays against both the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs. That makes him a downfield threat for a team that doesn't have a true one outside of Brian Thomas Jr., while it can also help serve him on defense.

The Jaguars' defense thrived on takeaways last season, and Hunter has the traits to make that continue in 2026. With Hunter expected to take on a much larger role on defense than he played last season as a rookie, his ball skills could prove to be the difference in wins or losses if he meets his ultimate potential.

Hunter is the type of player who can make game-changing plays look routine, whether it is on offense or defense. He proved that a year ago, and you can expect him to carry it over through the 2026 season as well.

Matchup X-Factor

This is the true value in the Jaguars adding Travis Hunter. A microcosm of the kind of impact Hunter can have on a week-to-week basis was his final performance. Hunter was able to catch his first touchdown, record his first 100-yard day as a receiver, and produce a third-down pass breakup against Davante Adams all in the same game.

He did similar feats against the Chiefs with key catches and a stop against Travis Kelce, and also against the Houston Texans where he had textbook coverage against Nico Collins in the red-zone while also getting a critical first-down on offense. Having a player who can impact the same game from both sides of the ball is rare enough, but the fact he can do so while still giving the Jaguars a matchup advantage each week is what really makes him special.

Take the New England Patriots in Week 3 for example. Hunter could match up with A.J. Brown on defense, while still giving the Jaguars some valuable reps on offense. That is a unique and valuable talent.

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