Here’s How Jaguars Could Deploy Hunter Over First 3 Games

James Gladstone had Travis Hunter on his mind two-plus months before executing the historic trade that brought historic player to Jacksonville. And just two-plus months from now, the world will see exactly how the Jaguars use the two-way player.

“They believe he can play both of those positions well,” said insider Dan Graziano on Monday’s edition of NFL Live. “So far this offseason, they've given him more at wide receiver. They have said they want him to major in offense and then they'll feed him some defense as they go. They just believe that the complexities of the offense are going to take him more time than he'll need on defense.”

That’s a familiar refrain this offseason, that Hunter’s unique football awareness and defensive prowess makes him a better wide receiver, as opposed to his offensive abilities making him a better defender. So, what could that look like over the season’s first three games – before opponents have a library of film on how to keep Hunter from beating them?

Ironically, while two of Jacksonville’s first three opponents are largely unchanged from last year, the Jaguars’ Sept. 7 opener at home against Carolina presents the most question marks. The Panthers return their coaching staff and starting quarterback Bryce Young but they also made several significant additions through free agency and the draft.

Namely, the Panthers drafted wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan in the first round, just six picks after Jacksonville took Hunter at No. 2. McMillan and Hunter met twice in college with very different results. In 2023, McMillan dominated Hunter and his Colorado team. In a 34-31 road win, McMillan posted 107 yards and a touchdown on nine receptions.

The following year at Arizona, Hunter and the Buffs in a 34-7 win held McMillan to 38 yards on five catches, both the second-lowest single-game totals of the wideout’s final college season. With two games of experience against McMillan already under Hunter’s belt, giving Hunter more reps on defense in his first NFL game might be a good bet.  

A week later, Jacksonville faces a formidable Sept. 14 trip to Cincinnati. The Bengals return all their offensive weapons, including Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, who led the NFL in all three primary receiving categories last year. Because the Bengals’ offense is expected to enter that game as a relatively known commodity, would the Jaguars be better off using Hunter primarily as an offensive weapon and saving him on defense for passing downs?

Week 3 doesn’t get easier, back at home against AFC South rival Houston on Sept. 21. Like the Bengals, the Texans are largely unchanged from the club that won its second straight division title in 2024.

Incredibly, the Jaguars have not defeated Houston at EverBank Stadium since Dec. 17, 2017. The Texans own a seven-year winning streak in Jacksonville and the Jaguars have had three full-time head coaches in that stretch. And if the Jaguars are going to snap that dismal streak, they might consider using Hunter as an offensive decoy.

That’s because Brian Thomas last season as a rookie enjoyed a pair of impressive games against the Texans’ secondary, which ranked second in the NFL with 19 interceptions and sixth in passing defense (201.0 yards allowed per game). In a 24-20 loss at Houston in Week 4, Thomas had six catches for 86 yards and a touchdown. In the Jaguars’ 23-20 loss in Week 13, he had 76 yards and another touchdown on four receptions.

“This is a player,” Graziano added, “given what they paid to move up and draft him, almost has to be two players in one to justify the cost. You can see a situation where they change it week to week.

“One week, they may need him at cornerback more. One week, they might need him at wide receiver more. If he gets to the point where he can do both the way they think he can, it could be a lot of fun.”

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