Jaguars set to 'fight' over use of Travis Hunter?

How will the Jacksonville Jaguars use cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter? They may not even know, which could cause bickering among their coaching staff.

"There'll be a fight to see who gets to use [Hunter]," a college football coach told ESPN's Adam Rittenberg in a story published Tuesday. 

In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Jaguars traded four picks to the Cleveland Browns to move from No. 5 to No. 2 to select the Colorado/Jackson State product. New Jacksonville general manager James Gladstone didn't specify how much the 2024 Heisman winner will play on offense and defense but indicated the team took him to be a difference-maker on both sides of the ball.  

"He's somebody who's deserving of a first-round draft pick as a wide receiver, and he is worthy of a first-round pick as a corner," Gladstone told the media after picking Hunter. "Certainly look forward to each of those elements over the next few years while he's under his rookie contract. But yeah, we're excited getting him in the boat, so to speak." 

In the same news conference, new Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said Hunter will start on offense, which seems surprising. Typically, two-way stars learn defense first. 

Pro Football Hall of Famer Champ Bailey (a former Georgia star) played corner before occasionally lining up at WR for the Washington Commanders and Denver Broncos. 

Jacksonville, however, may feel that giving quarterback Trevor Lawrence more reliable targets is its biggest priority. Outside of second-year WR Brian Thomas Jr. — who had 1,282 receiving yards in 17 games — no Jaguar surpassed 411 receiving yards last season.

Hunter, meanwhile, caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns in 13 games in 2024, winning the Fred Biletnikoff Award as college football's best WR. 

The Jaguars should still focus on having Hunter improve their secondary. Last season, they ranked last in the league in passing yards allowed (257.4).

Jacksonville must figure out how to divide Hunter's workload. When the Jaguars do, the 21-year-old should make his presence felt on offense and defense.