The Real Reason Travis Hunter is Playing More CB for Jaguars in 2026

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars believe they have a No. 1 cornerback.

That cornerback, Travis Hunter, is also a player the Jaguars believe is capable of being a top wide receiver. The Jaguars' usage of Hunter, which varied week-to-week a year ago, has been the topic of much conversation at different points this offseason.

But lost in all of the back-and-forth of what should be a nuanced discussion is the fact that there is only one real underlying reason Hunter is set to see his snaps increase at cornerback next season.

No, it has nothing to do with his development. No, it isn't even the Jaguars changing plans from a year ago. It is just the nature of the Jaguars' natural roster development, and a receiver room that had multiple breakouts after Hunter was sidelined for the season.

Why Hunter is playing more cornerback

When the Jaguars drafted Hunter, their plans were for his major focus to be on offense at wide receiver while he still saw snaps at cornerback. More often than not last season, that is how it wentas Hunter played twice as many snaps at receiver than at cornerback. But it is worth noting that the Jaguars' roster from a year ago is vastly different than the world they live in now, specifically at cornerback and receiver.

When the Jaguars made the Hunter trade, they had Tyson Campbell, Jarrian Jones, Montaric Brown, and new free agent signing Jourdan Lewis at cornerback. Not exactly a team that was hurting for cover men, even if Hunter has the talent and traits to be an All-Pro cornerback. But at wide receiver, it was a very different question.

Brian Thomas Jr. was fresh off a 1,000-yard season and was expected to take a big leap in his sophomore campaign that never really came. The Jaguars had signed Dyami Brown to a one-year, $10 million deal that offseason, but even the most optimistic fans of that signing knew they would need a lot to go right for him to erase their receiver need.

They also had Parker Washington, but at that point in his career he had caught 48 career passes in two seasons. Washington caught more passes than that last season, and he only played a full-time role in the offense for the second-half of the season. The Jaguars had serious receiver questions at the time, and not many cornerback ones.

But fast foward to Hunter's injury in Week 9, and the Jaguars saw the room change quite a bit. Brown was already out of the equation and sidelined, and the Jaguars saw Washington promoted to starting slot receiver with Hunter hurt. At the trade deadline, the Jaguars landed Jakobi Meyers from the Las Vegas Raiders for a fourth and a sixth.

Fast forward two more months, and Meyers and Washington were so impressive that the Jaguars' offense never suffered for not having the No. 2 pick at their disposal. Washington led the team in receiving and became one of the NFL's true breakout players, and Meyers signed a three-year deal with $40 million guaranteed before the season ever ended.

brian thoma — Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (3) runs on the field before an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Titans 41-7, capturing the AFC South title. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jaguars were clearly banking on Meyers becoming a big piece of the offense. They were interested in trading for him during training camp, so he was already added to the equation. But the fact that Washington saw his production explode alongside him was hoped for, sure, but expected? Hardly.

Once that happened, the Jaguars suddenly had a dynamic receiver trio wthout even including Hunter's talent. As for cornerback, the Jaguars traded Tyson Campbell a month into the season and the Greg Newsome addition never really paid off.

greg newsom — Jan 11, 2026; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Greg Newsome II (6) warms up before an AFC Wild Card Round game against the Buffalo Bills at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Hunter will still play receiver this season. While his true role will likely be week-to-week and probably can not even be speculated on with detail at this point, it is fair to say though that he will at least play more cornerback this year in large part because, well, that is what the 2026 Jaguars need.

Is it what the 2025 Jaguars needed? Probably not. But when it comes to moving the Jaguars' momentum moving forward, that does not matter much.

Add us as a preferred source on Google