3 Questions Jaguars Must Answer After Week 1: Travis Hunter's Path

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- As far as Week 1's, the Jacksonville Jaguars had things pretty good.

The Jaguars left Week 1 with the biggest margin of victory of any team after their 34-10 beatdown of the Cleveland Browns, which would have gotten even more out of hand had Liam Coen not been merciful and put the game into cruise control after going up 31-0.

But now that Week 1 is officially in the rearview mirror for the Jaguars, it is time to take stock on both what we learned about Jacksonville and what questions still remain. So, which questions must be answered after the Week 1 blowout win over the Browns?

Is This Really Travis Hunter's Role?

Sunday was an interesting game for Travis Hunter, who played 29 snaps on defense and four on offense at receiver, with each of those snaps coming on the same drive. It was as lopsided a balance for Hunter's two-way abilities as what he did last year when he spent the vast majority of time at wide receiver and then played a few snaps here and there at cornerback unless the Jaguars were dealing with injuries.

The question to ask is simple: if the Jaguars were in a close game against a better team, would he have been used on offense more? The Jaguars were able to dial up touchdowns and explosive plays literally at will against the Browns' defense, so there was zero point in the game where the Jaguars likely felt they needed Hunter on offense. Parker Washington, Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers, and Josh Cameron combined for 12 catches on 13 targets for 183 yards and three touchdown catches, so it is not as if the receivers needed any reinforcements.

Hunter played well on defense, too, effectively taking away a third of the field since the Browns targeted him in coverage just once. A shutdown cornerback who can give you explosive plays on offense is a rare player to have, but the simple fact that the Jaguars gave up so much for Hunter means we will continue to have to monitor whether this is what his true role is moving forward.

Will Cole Van Lanen Be Ready for a Full Workload vs. Denver?

The Jaguars had Cole Van Lanen play the first half of the game at right tackle after he made his official return from his January knee injury, which sidelined him all spring and summer as he recovered. Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said Monday that Van Lanen playing only a half was the plan entering the game, which was certainly easier to do considering this game ended when the Jaguars went up 14-0 at the end of the first quarter. But what about in Week 2 vs. the Broncos?

The Broncos did not look good really at all against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1, but they should still be expected to play the Jaguars a good bit tougher than the Browns could have ever dreamed of doing. The Broncos also have the best pass-rush in the NFL in the last few years, recording 132 sacks from 2024-2025 and becoming the only defense to record 100 sacks in that span.

Will another week of practice and conditioning permit Van Lanen to play an entire game on the road in Denver next week? Or will the Jaguars once again have Walker Little waiting in the wings to step up at right tackle? We will find out in a few days.

11 or 12?

nf; — Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen gives a thumbs up while walking with manager of team security Gabriel Rose before an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Browns 34-10. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

If you are of the opinion that the Jaguars' drafting of Nate Boerkircher will completely change how they approach offense, then you likely feel good about Week 1. Week 1 was the most efficient the Jaguars have been in 12 and 13 personnel in any game during the Liam Coen era, and the Jaguars were not afraid to lean on it. With that said, it is worth nothing (as Andrew Kessler did below) that the Jaguars went more to the heavier sets once the game got out of hand, and they came out firing with their standard 11 personnel set.

Largely due to game script, but the Jaguars 11-personnel rate dropped from 66.5% in 2025 to 41.5% on Sunday

However, 12 of their first 15 plays in the game were out of 11. Only 3 of their 17 2nd half snaps (excluding kneel-downs) were out of 11. pic.twitter.com/ZS0QdI8qbU
— Andrew Kessler (@DuvalAndrew904) September 14, 2026

Does this change in Week 2? Will the Jaguars major in 11 or 12/13 when games are actually close and still within some range of danger and anxiety? Thanks to the strugles of the Browns in really possible area of football, we will not know the answer until the Jaguars are actually challenged. If Denver plays them tighter this week, though, we should be able to get the answers.

Add us as a preferred source on Google