Why Jaguars Are Making Right Move With Travis Hunter

NFL Network national reporter Cameron Wolfe reported on Friday that Hunter would likely be starting at cornerback full-time for the Jaguars in 2026 with part-time work on offense. It is a move that has the online football community split, but the move itself is the right one for Hunter this upcoming season.

Why Hunter being a full-time cornerback is the right move

Last season, before trading for Jakobi Meyers, it seemed as though the plan for Hunter was to begin playing full-time at both wideout and cornerback for Jacksonville. It is a plan I believed at the time to be the right one, providing the team and head coach Liam Coen with a rare weapon on both sides of the ball to utilize and change the trajectory for the rest of the season.

Then came the knee injury; Meyers was acquired, and the Jaguars won nine of their last 10 games without Hunter. Now comes the current situation we sit in: a wide receiver room with a lot of talent and a cornerback room that is expected to allow its key free agents to test the open market next month. With the shortage at one of the most valuable positions on the roster, Hunter is likely to be the top outside starter while being a part of the receiver rotation on offense.

This is what it will be like every offseason, depending on the potential roster situation, with a discussion of which side of the ball Hunter will play at for the upcoming season, full-time or part-time. The decision to play Hunter at corner full-time is the right move, as I have maintained, because he possesses a higher ceiling on defense, his rare instincts in zone coverage, ball skills, and twitchy athleticism.

There appears to be outrage within the online fantasy football community over Hunter's move. From that perspective, that was always going to be the risk, no matter where he was drafted. He is too talented not to play him on defense, especially when or if the need is higher for either side of the ball.

There have been some interesting observations from the online football community on this matter, but the move itself is clear as day. However, just because Hunter will play full-time at cornerback with rotational snaps at wide receiver now doesn't mean he'll do it for the rest of his career. Again, this will be evaluated and decided each season for as long as this generational player can do it.

What fans will see on Sundays next season will be the same as they were last year, with Hunter: incredible catches or explosive plays on offense, and outstanding defense and instincts on defense. All anyone asks is that he stays healthy, which is key for all of this moving forward.

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