Jags' Travis Hunter is a Prime DROY Candidate

It's no question that Travis Hunter is the Jacksonville Jaguars' frontrunner for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award (DROY). Hunter played and dominated both sides of the ball while at Colorado, and that's what he was drafted to do in Jacksonville.

Jacob Infante of "Pro Football and Sports Network" (PFSN) recently gave his thoughts on the matter, highlighting Hunter's freak athleticism and incredible ball-skills.

It remains to be seen exactly how the Jacksonville Jaguars divide up Travis Hunter’s snaps between offense and defense," Infante wrote. "If he gets a strong role at cornerback, expect him to be a DROY favorite.

"The reigning Heisman Trophy winner had four interceptions and 11 pass deflections last year for Colorado. His elite ball skills give him tremendous turnover upside at cornerback in the NFL. If the Jaguars lean more toward offense with him, keep an eye on third-round safety Caleb Ransaw."

It all comes down to his usage in year one. If the Jaguars do in fact decide to lean on him more on the offensive side, then he won't have a chance at DROY, no matter how talented he is.

Head coach Liam Coen and the rest of the Jags' staff know the athlete their dealing with, or else they wouldn't have drafted him 2nd overall let alone trade up to get him. Realistically, Hunter has a chance to succeed on either side, whether it be wide receiver or defensive back. He's made it clear he wants to continue balancing both, and so far Coen has supported him through that process.

If he continues to make progress like he's done so far through Minicamp and eventually through Jacksonville's official Training Camp, he'll surely earn the trust of his coaches to be able to get on offense and defense.

The most important thing that he'll havee to keep an eye on is load management. Playing two positions means twice the reps, twice the fatigue, and twice the chance of injury. If he's able to take what he's learned with Coach Prime in college, coupled with the support of his new teammates and faculty, Jaguars fans will be in for quite the season from Hunter.

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