When Travis Hunter declared for the NFL Draft as the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, he had no idea which team would call his name. But he made one thing clear: regardless of where he landed, he wanted the opportunity to continue doing what made him special—playing on both sides of the ball. Since high school, Hunter has forged his identity as both a lockdown defensive back and an explosive wide receiver. He wasn’t just open to playing both positions—he thrived on it.
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So when the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted him and embraced his dual-role aspirations, it was a dream come true. They didn’t see him as just another rookie; they saw him as a franchise-altering, once-in-a-generation talent. And to them, limiting him to only one side of the ball would be like clipping the wings of a soaring eagle. Hunter and the Jags share the same vision, but now they must figure out how to execute it at the professional level.
If allowed to take significant snaps on offense and defense, Hunter could become a true NFL phenomenon, something the league hasn’t seen in decades. However, the question remains: should he play both ways in the NFL?
Not everyone is on board. Coach Jason Brown, better known as “Coach JB,” doesn’t believe it’s in Hunter’s best long-term interest, especially from a financial perspective. While playing two positions could boost his contract value, JB argues it wouldn’t be enough to justify the toll it would take on his body and performance. He still won’t be getting enough money that he should get for playing both positions.
He’s going to lose money. It’s a fact. He’s going to lose money. I don’t believe the OGs believe he can’t do it. I think that’s where you guys are wrong in this. We don’t believe he should try to do it. You can do it and be impactful for 10-15 snaps. You can’t be great or elite at both, just for the simple fact that the math, time, and the effort that it takes to go in and be unbelievable 10,000 hours at one thing.”
Can Travis Hunter really do it in the NFL? Patrick Peterson, who played both cornerback and returner in college—and even early in his NFL career—shared his thoughts on the matter. He believes the Heisman winner absolutely has the talent to pull it off. However, where Hunter might struggle is in the mental side of the game: the countless hours in meetings and the film room required to master both positions at the professional level.
Preparation will be the toughest hurdle. He’ll need to absorb new information daily, with little room for error. In the NFL, every week demands a new game plan tailored to each opponent—unlike college, where teams often rely on familiar, tested plays. That constant adaptation could be the biggest challenge in his bid to play both ways.
“I don’t want to put a cap on Travis. I don’t want to say he cannot do it because we had these conversations. The only difference is going to be between college level and the NFL level is that he is going to be in the classroom more. I don’t know if he is going to be able to divide his time between both places. That’s going to be the trickiest part.”
It’s going to be an uphill battle for Hunter to be able to play both positions. Thankfully, he is off to a good start in his first OTAs. Jaguars DC Anthony Campanile and the QB, Trevor Lawrence, had great things to say about him. They admire his energy and chutzpah and feel excited to have him on their team.
It seems Travis is again going to be a ground-breaker after all by playing both as DB and WR, and there is no better athlete or a man to achieve that.
