Jacksonville GM James Gladstone Shuts Down Misconception Over Travis Hunters' Role

Following the draft, the idea spread was that Hunter would be used as a wide receiver first, and then eventually he could earn time on the defensive side of the ball. Gladstone shut down that conversation, calling it a misconception. 

“I do think there’s a little bit of a misconception in that it’s wide receiver first corner second as much as it is the learning methodology of wide receiver through this phase and then continuing to trickle in more defense that is his primary background,” Gladstone said. 

With the Colorado Buffaloes on defense, Hunter totaled 35 combined tackles, 11 passes defended, four interceptions, and one forced fumble. He did this while being the team’s top receiver. He finished the season with 1,258 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. Hunter went on to win the Heisman Trophy.

With the Jaguars putting Hunter as a wide receiver first during practices, the idea spread that is the position Hunter would primarily play in the NFL. During rookie minicamp, that was where he was seen the most and by OTAs and mandatory minicamp, he was on the defensive side more often. Gladstone clarified why the team put him at wide receiver early.

“Our understanding that Travis is most naturally comfortable, most naturally in-tuned on the defensive side of the ball. We wanted to load him offensively throughout this window to ensure that by the time we got to training camp, we had a runway built up on that side because there’s so much more nuance, there’s so much more adjustments in real-time on the offensive side of the ball that would require a lot more learning,” Gladstone continued.

During rookie minicamp, videos surfaced of Hunter stumbling on routes. There was concern regarding the former Colorado star on whether his athleticism masked his route running ability. The team helped Hunter turn up his routes, and within a couple of weeks, there was much improvement.

As Hunter has picked up reps on the defensive side of the ball, there is still wonder how much he would split his time when the season begins. Hunter averaged over 100 snaps per game in 2024 and when asked how many he can realistically have in the NFL, Gladstone answered that he was not certain. 

It was also clarified that the number of snaps Hunter earns does not have to do with his stamina, as much as much as the game plan each week.

“Time will truly tell and I think the thing you can in fact read into at this stage is that he does not tire. He has got a spark. He has got the energy. The capacity from a physical standpoint just to be able to do it, it’s certainly there,” Gladstone said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “It will be in terms of one game to the next, where does it fit, where does it make the most sense. Certain gameplans may dictate usage differently.”