Fred Taylor Weighs In on How Jaguars Should Deploy Travis Hunter

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- One of the top storylines of the Jacksonville Jaguars' offseason will be a repeat from 2025.

Just like a year ago, a large chunk of the discussion around the Jaguars' offseason will be about how the Jaguars will deploy No. 2 pick Travis Hunter. And this week, all-time Jaguars great Fred Taylor gave his two cents on how the Jaguars should move forward with their talented two-way player.

Taylor Talks Hunter

Speaking to Hard Rock, Taylor weighed in on the Hunter debate and how he would use him if he were in control of his future.

"We only got a glimpse of Travis and what he brings to the table. He was great at Colorado as a two-way player. He’s a dynamic receiver. He’s amazing after the catch and he’s a great deep threat. As a cornerback, he is shutdown," Taylor said.

fred taylo — Sporting Jax co-owner Fred Taylor speaks during the club's uniform release at Friendship Fountain on May 13, 2025. [Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union] | Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"We were able to see a small glimpse of this. He has a lot of potential, and his ceiling is extremely high. How would I utilize him? It’s tough to say. I see him as more of an All-Pro cornerback rather than a receiver. But he is a great receiver, and it’s hard to not give him reps on that side of the ball."

It appears this is exactly the path the Jaguars are set to forge with Hunter After he played mostly wide receiver as a rookie, Hunter is set to take on a larger role on defense in year two as the Jaguars' need at cornerback increases entering the 2026 offseason.

travis hunte — Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) yells as his is introduced before an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Texans 17-10. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"If you had asked me on draft night, I would’ve utilized him more as a corner because it’s hard to find shutdown corners in this league. Then on offense, I think you can create opportunities with spot plays, shot plays, trick plays, reverses and screens where you can sprinkle in a few plays to get the ball in his hands," Taylor said.

"But that’s why I’m sitting here with you guys though, because I don’t get paid the big bucks to make that decision as a head coach. So, I leave that up to Coach Coen and the crew. All in all, in the small sample size we saw prior to his injury, I think Travis showed tremendous upside in his ability. Having him healthy next season will give the Jaguars so many opportunities to get creative when they’re game planning."

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