Jacksonville Jaguars News & Rumors

A regular role on both sides of the ball has been planed in Travis Hunter‘s case throughout the offseason. He will make his Jaguars preseason debut this week, and time on offense and defense will be in store.

Jags head coach Liam Coen said this morning (via NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe) the team’s starters will play on Saturday against the Steelers. That includes Hunter, who will spend time at receiver as well as cornerback. Given the manner in which the Heisman winner’s practice workload has taken shape during training camp, today’s announcement comes as little surprise.

Still, Jacksonville’s decision to give Hunter game reps on offense and defense is noteworthy as the team evaluates how best to use the No. 2 pick. During the spring, the team made it clear no firm number was in place regarding how many snaps at either position Hunter would play in any given game. The 22-year-old’s workload could change on a week-to-week basis depending on matchups but also his ability to withstand a two-way role at the NFL level.

Jacksonville’s first unofficial depth chart lists Hunter as a starter at the receiver spot alongside Brian Thomas Jr. and Dyami Brown. Meanwhile, the Colorado product is a backup behind Jourdan Lewis and Tyson Campbell at the cornerback position. Like all other teams, the Jaguars will of course spend plenty of time with three cornerbacks on the field, though, so Hunter should be able to see a notable workload on the boundary when defending. Lewis is set to handle slot duties, something which will make the Jags’ safety competition one to watch as the rest of the summer plays out while leaving a number of snaps available for Hunter.

The Steelers will rest a number of their starters on Saturday, per head coach Mike Tomlin. The opposite is true of their opponent, and Hunter in particular will be worth watching closely as he and the Jaguars continue working toward a plan for his regular season workload.

Travis Hunter saw incremental increases in his practice workload during the spring, seeing time at receiver and cornerback. As padded practices take place, a curated plan will be implemented for the Heisman winner.

Earlier this month, it was confirmed the Jaguars would continue ramping up Hunter’s responsibilities during training camp, with certain practices involving work on both sides of the ball. After beginning strictly as a receiver, this year’s No. 2 pick has also handled cornerback drills in camp. Head coach Liam Coen recently confirmed a day-by-day approach will be taken in this case.

“You want to give him a couple days offense, a couple days defense, and then give him an opportunity to go flip-flop within the same practice and then that will kind of become the norm,” Coen said (via ESPN’s Michael DiRocco). “Every moment, every minute that he is in the building, it is accounted for and trying to make sure that we maximize his time, our time so that we can ultimately get the best outcome.”

Given the price Jacksonville paid to move up from fifth to second in the first-round order on draft night to land Hunter, his performance will be central to the evaluation of Coen and rookie general manager James Gladstone. A regular workload on offense and defense should await the Colorado product if all goes according to plan regarding his acclimation for both positions. As could be expected, no firm decision has been made yet with respect to how many snaps Hunter will play on any given week.

DiRocco has tracked the offense/defense snap split so far in camp, illustrating how certain days will contain exclusive work at one position or the other. Strong showings in that respect will allow for the team to continue including two-way days in Hunter’s summer routine. If the 22-year-old manages that workload well, he should be in store to take on a unique role come the regular season.