How Matthew Stafford, Kirk Cousins Could Bring Travis Hunter to Jacksonville

For the fifth time in seven drafts, Jacksonville is expected to make a top-10 selection. And while most mock drafts have them taking Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham with the fifth-overall choice, some actually slot the Jaguars with the draft’s most exciting player.

Travis Hunter is the most intriguing NFL prospect since Charles Woodson in 1998. Although Woodson’s NFL career didn’t feature much offense, the Michigan product won a Heisman Trophy primarily because of his explosiveness as a receiver and ball-carrier. But don’t call Hunter the next Woodson.

“They say, ‘Nobody has ever done it for real the way I do it,’” Hunter said Thursday morning from the scouting combine. “But I tell them I’m just different. I’m a different person.”

Hunter, who also won a Heisman while playing on both sides of the ball at Colorado, has committed to a two-way NFL career since his days at Jackson State. He said Thursday that teams looking to draft him, such as Jacksonville, should understand he’s prepared to play both cornerback and wide receiver – and the team will determine which position he plays most, not Hunter.

“I’m going to play both,” Hunter said. “That’s not my job to figure it out. I like to play both sides of the ball. If they give me the opportunity to play both sides of the ball, I’m going to play both sides.”

Don’t get greedy, though. Should Jacksonville want Hunter to also return kickoffs and punts, Hunter said he’s got enough on his plate already. Last season, the Jaguars ranked seventh in the NFL with an 11.8-average per punt return, and 27th in kickoff-return average (25.7).

Hunter and the Jaguars should be closely watching the Matthew Stafford situation in Los Angeles. That’s because Hunter’s draft destination depends on whether the Giants – who draft third overall -- acquire Stafford in a trade.

Another wrinkle is whether the Browns acquire Kirk Cousins from Atlanta, reuniting the quarterback with Kevin Stefanski. Should that happen, Hunter also could fall to Jacksonville.

Ironically, Hunter’s quarterback at Colorado could also play in a role in where Hunter goes. Hunter could even determine where that quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, lands in the first round. Those chain-reaction effects could be serendipitous for Jacksonville’s new regime.

And if both Hunter and Sanders are drafted in the top-five picks, it won’t be the first time the same school has produced multiple players in that category. It’s happened many times, most recently Alabama’s Bryce Young and Will Anderson in 2023.

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