Jaguars' Travis Hunter Has All Eyes on Him After Minicamp

Pundits all over the league make lists all of the time regarding players way outside of their zip code, with claims that lump them into specific categories.

Jaguars Rookie WR/DB Travis Hunter has been included on a list of players who have the most to prove, but that isn't necessarily a reason to sound an alarm.

Josh Edwards of CBS Sports recently compiled a list of players with the most to prove in mandatory minicamps around the league.

The Heisman-winning Hunter joins his Colorado running mate, Shedeur Sanders of the Cleveland Browns, on the ledger. One could take it as an insult or an indictment of his skills, but it's more of a challenge based on expectations supported by factors such as what he has achieved, his rare, two-way skill set and where he was selected.

"Hunter is aiming to be a two-way player at a high level in the NFL; the likes of which has never been accomplished. The Jaguars have made it clear that they intend to use him on both sides of the ball and he will always be held to that standard. Minicamp truthfully has no bearing on the success or failure of his professional career, but he will always carry of modicum of pressure because of the circumstances under which he was drafted", wrote Edwards. 

It's hard to argue with the claims in this article. Not only was Hunter the second-pick overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Jaguars traded up to get him and surrendered their top pick in 2026 to acquire his services. That right there puts a bullseye on any player. Throw in the facts that Hunter holds the prestige of being named the most-recent Heisman Trophy and he is being tasked to play on both sides of the ball, all eyes will be firmly upon him.

Hunter will not be alone in this journey. The Jaguars have just as much pressure on them to justify the trade. General Manager James Gladstone and Head Coach Liam Coen know that they put themselves in the crosshairs for the bold move that some questioned at the time. It would be detrimental in the infancy of their Jaguars careers for this to fail.

What it all comes down to is that the "Duval Duo" recognizes the special talent that they are working with. If they craft a plan to marry the fire, intensity and natural skills possessed by Travis Hunter with a workload that will put him in a position to best use those attributes, the pressure will surely fade in a Florida minute.

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