In what can only be described as a blockbuster trade, the Jacksonville Jaguars shocked the football world on April 24 by acquiring the second overall pick from the Cleveland Browns to select Travis Hunter. Colorado’s two-way sensation is officially headed to the Sunshine State, carrying a heavy load of expectations.
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Despite Hunter’s potentially meta-breaking skill set, some aren’t ready to predict his NFL success yet. It’s the big leagues after all. Hunter is humble enough to understand and take those expectations as motivation.
Among those who are waiting for Hunter to prove himself at the next level are Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson. While attempting to assess how Hunter will fit into the Jacksonville roster, Sharpe said that he will have to earn his fair share of respect.
“At the end of the day, I think it’s always like this when you’re a rookie coming in. You gotta prove it,” said the NFL Hall of Famer on Nightcap.
While Sharpe was hesitant to give Hunter any props, his co-host in Johnson, suggested that Hunter could be the best offensive weapon on the team. However, upon being reminded of the existence of Brian Thomas Jr., the former Cincinnati Bengal quickly changed his tune.
The second BTJ’s name was mentioned, Johnson walked back on his previous statement.
“Oh my god. Never mind. I take that back. He’s the second-best receiver in Jacksonville. That’s some good help, though, but he’s not better than Brian Thomas Jr.,” said Johnson.
Thomas just recorded one of the most impressive rookie seasons in the history of the Jaguars’ franchise. So, no surprise there that Johnson changed course and showed some due respect.
It’s important for Hunter to focus on his game in the first year and develop himself. It is his work ethic that has made him reach this level in the first place. But what does Hunter himself think about his prospects in Jacksonville?
“What do I think about it? It was a great choice. I’ve just got to come and do my job. My job is to come out and be Travis Hunter — come out and play how they envision me to play and exceed all the expectations,” Hunter said in an interview with the Jaguars.
“They sacrificed a lot to get me. That means they believe in me. That just validates that I need to go ahead and just do my job,” he added. Clearly, Hunter is ready for the challenge.
Assessing how Hunter fits into the Jaguars’ offense
Both Hunter and the Jaguars are fully committed to the idea of him playing on both sides of the ball. However, Jacksonville’s newly minted head coach, Liam Coen, informed the press that the team would primarily use him as a wide receiver to begin with.
Believing that this will afford Hunter some extra time to familiarize himself with the defense’s playbook, the Jags will presumably list him as the WR2 behind Thomas Jr.
“We know he’s going to be able to do both. We feel that in our bones. We’re going to set that up that way from a schedule, from an operations standpoint, the way that we’re going to operate for him, to set him up to have the most success that he can, then help the Jacksonville Jaguars become the best version of ourselves,” Coen said in an interview about their plans for Hunter.
Thomas’ rookie campaign saw him produce 1,282 receiving yards on just 87 receptions. For comparison, Malik Nabers, the second WR taken in the 2024 NFL Draft, who is also a star in his own right, needed 109 receptions just to produce 1,204 receiving yards.
Hunter is unlikely to produce any jaw-dropping numbers throughout his rookie season. Factor in the fact that the Jaguars’ running back, Travis Etienne, also commands his fair share of targets out of the backfield. So it is rather difficult to project a steady target share for Hunter.
Considering that the only other notable pass catchers on Jacksonville’s roster are Dyami Brown and Gabe Davis, both of whom are far removed from being able to challenge Hunter for the WR2 spot, the Heisman winner should enjoy a modest yet healthy workload in his first year.
The promise of an ever-increasing workload on defense is also likely to hinder his receiving totals. However, if there’s anyone who could prove to be capable of producing solid receiving numbers while also seeing snaps on defense, it’s Hunter.
