Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) and Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) have a laugh while running drills during the seventh organized team activity at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. Monday, June 2, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How Travis Hunter, Brian Thomas Jr. Can Elevate Each Other

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By John Shipley | Last updated Jun 28, 2025 4:00 PM ET

The Jacksonville Jaguars are hoping to have one of the NFL's most exciting and dynamic wide receiver duos in Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter, a potential key to unlocking their entire passing game.

Thomas is one of the NFL's best wide receivers and has a chance to surpass even his record-breaking rookie season in 2025, while Hunter is a rare talent at wide receiver who put up a Heisman Trophy season in 2024.

On their own, each player has all of the traits to be a No. 1 wide receiver. But together, the duo has a chance to do some serious damage.

While the two have very different skill-sets, the sheer impact of them sharing the field should pay off instantly for a Jaguars offense that is looking to take a massive leap under new head coach Liam Coen.

"Yeah, I think, you know, Travis has a really similar, you know, ability in terms of, you know, different body types there, you know, with Brian being a little bigger, but you know, Travis having that, that basketball sense, that ability underneath, but then also having, you know, legit speed down the field," Jaguars passing game coordinator Shane Waldron said after OTAs earlier this offseason.

With the duo each bringing game-changing play-making ability, defenses will not be able to hone in on just one of them.

Well, they will be able and welcome to. And if they do try to spend all of their resources to cover just one of Thomas or Hunter, then the Jaguars can make them pay.

"And so you have guys that can play where you're not just, you know, as an offense, restricted to this player is only going to be the top shelf for the route concepts, or this player is only going to be the underneath guy," Waldron said.

"When you have guys that can mix and match, I think that does present a good challenge to the defense, so they can't lock in on, you know, one guy is only going to do, you know, maybe these two or three routes, when everyone can do everything, you know, really expands the way you can attack the defense."