Expectations going into the 2025 season were about as high as they could be for the Jaguars’ rookie.
Expectations going into the 2025 season were about as high as they could be for the Jaguars’ rookie Travis Hunter. That said, there were a lot of unknowns regarding his usage in the NFL, especially early on.
Would he play on both sides of the ball? How much? What sort of impact would he have on the team?
Well, we are now six weeks into the season and we have some answers to those questions.
Let’s assess the impact of the unicorn himself, Travis Hunter.
Travis Hunter: The Receiver
Up to this point, receiver has been Hunter’s primary position, playing around 63% of the team’s offensive snaps. He might not have the crazy numbers some thought going into the season, but that by no means he hasn’t been impactful. Hunter’s 28-yard grab against San Francisco and his 44-yard reception against the Chiefs were very likely game-winning catches.
That said, he hasn’t been as consistent as the Jaguars might like. He has yet to catch an intermediate (10-19 yards) pass on the season, often relegated as the team’s go-to screen target. The two catches mentioned above are his only receptions beyond 10 yards downfield.
Despite the middling results on screens, it’s certainly easy to see why the Jaguars look to him. Hunter’s eight missed tackles lead the team and are tied for fifth most among any receiver in the league. He’s frightening in space.
Of his 197 yards, 105 have come after the catch. His 105 yards after the catch also lead the team. If the Jaguars can get him more involved beyond the short game, watch out. The talent is obvious.
Travis Hunter: The Cornerback
On the other side of the ball, Hunter is being used a little more sparingly, just around 39% of snaps. Primarily, he has been seeing snaps on passing downs, which should come as no surprise as he’s filled in as the team’s third/ fourth cornerback for much of the season.
That said, he’s performed admirably as a defender. It begs the question, should cornerback be his primary role on the team? Hunter is allowing a 84.2 NFL Rating in coverage (T-38th among Top-100 CBs) and has only given up 96 yards on 110 coverage snaps thus far.
Thought to be one of the better metrics to gauge cornerback play, Hunter’s 0.84 yards/ coverage snap ranks 35th among the Top-100 cornerbacks, just behind teammate Jourdan Lewis. His longest reception allowed on the season is just 17 yards.
There’s a lot to be desired when it comes to Travis Hunter’s play this season, but there’s equally as much to like. With the trade of Tyson Campbell, the Jaguars’ CB1 slot has opened right up for Travis Hunter to lay claim to in due time. He’s just getting started, stay tuned folks.
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Category: Football
