Jacksonville Jaguars Trade Up To Select Travis Hunter: Fantasy Football Impact

The Jaguars’ selection of Travis Hunter adds dynamic versatility to their roster, resulting in a polarizing fantasy football option heading into the 2025 NFL season.

Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter poses for a photo after winning the Heisman Trophy award during the 2024 Heisman Trophy Presentation. | Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars traded up to select two-way phenom Travis Hunter out of Colorado. Hunter has the dynamic skillset to become a game-changer in fantasy football, but the lingering question is which position he'll focus on at the next level.

With the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 @NFLDraft, the @Jaguars select Travis Hunter. @NewEraCap

📺: #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/H6vvTnndCf

— NFL (@NFL) April 25, 2025

Travis Hunter Scouting Report:

Hunter started his college career at Jackson State University under the guidance of Deion Sanders. He had a minimal opportunity at wide receiver (18/188/4) while also playing cornerback (15 tackles, two interceptions, a fumble recovery, and a touchdown).

After following his coaching staff to Colorado, Hunter increased his wide receiver production (57/721/5) despite missing three contests due to a liver injury. He continued to play defense, leading to 22 tackles and three interceptions. His dual role contributed to him winning the Heisman Trophy in 2024. Hunter caught 96 passes for 1,263 yards and 16 touchdowns. He finished with 25 tackles over 13 games with four interceptions and 11 defended passes.

Hunter opened up last season with five stellar games (7/132/3, 10/110, 13/100/2, 7/130, and 9/89/1). Kansas State and Arizona held him to a pair of short outings (3/26 and 2/17). After a great game (9/153/2), his Heisman push came over his final three starts (8/125/2, 10/116/3, and 4/106/1).

Throughout his college career, Hunter was highly regarded on both sides of the ball, earning multiple national awards for his outstanding play on offense and defense. His vision, anticipation, and quickness create wins all over the field. Hunter must improve his release against physical defenders at the line of scrimmage in the NFL. At the same time, his value in run support will be in question if asked to play that role in college.

Overall, his route running hasn’t reached its ceiling due to having an edge against most of his competitors at this point in his career, thanks to his natural talents. Hunter has a nose for the football, and he has many wins to his name, catching the ball in tight quarters. His sense for spacing and timing is exceptional, pointing to a higher volume receiving career in the realm of an Antonio Brown. His usage on defense is unknown, but his overall game would be the most impactful as a passing-down player on both sides of the ball. 

Travis Hunter WR only highlights for your timeline🔥

Can we get this guy as a full-time WR in the NFL please⁉️ pic.twitter.com/4XoAuBeivd

— PlayerProfiler (@rotounderworld) April 4, 2025

Travis Hunter Fantasy Football Outlook:

The Jaguars shockingly moved up from the No. 5 spot to retain the services of Hunter. Hunter will join Brian Thomas Jr. in Jacksonville's wide receiver room, and will help a secondary that struggled in 2025. After losing Evan Engram in free agency, Hunter would immediately be the team's second-best target and give Trevor Lawrence another electric playmaker to target. This is a big boost to Hunter's fantasy football value after it seemed very likely that he was going to land in Cleveland with the Browns.

The Jaguars ranked in the lower half of the league in catches (183 – 25th), receiving yards (2,461 – 20th), and touchdowns (16 – 21st). Their defense allowed 213 catches (25th) for 2,972 yards (30th), and 17 (21st) touchdowns on 327 targets.

By trading for Hunter, Jacksonville is almost treating him as drafting two players based on what they gave up in the deal. 

A rare two-way star in college, Hunter is expected to focus on wide receiver at the next level, where his elite ball skills, explosiveness, and route-running savvy make him an immediate threat. Paired with Lawrence, Hunter steps into a high-upside offensive situation with opportunity. His versatility and playmaking ability after the catch should allow Jacksonville to use him creatively, giving him a chance to produce WR2 numbers in fantasy formats as a rookie, with massive dynasty league upside if his volume and red-zone involvement grow quickly. Game script for a a team that struggled in 2024 could help Hunter pad his stats late in games.

And after finishing as the QB27 in fantasy football, Lawrence could emerge as a fringe QB1 heading into the summer with the addition of Hunter.

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