In what can only be described as a blockbuster trade, the Jacksonville Jaguars shocked the football world on April 24th 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, where plenty of expectations await him.
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Despite Hunter’s potentially meta-breaking skill set, some aren’t ready to predict his NFL success just yet. It’s the big leagues after all. Among those who are waiting for Hunter to prove himself at the next level are former NFL players Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson.
While attempting to assess how Hunter will fit in with the likes of the Jacksonville roster during the latest episode of their Nightcap podcast, the NFL Hall of Famer noted that Hunter will have to earn his fair share of respect moving forward.
“At the end of the day, I think it’s always like this when you’re a rookie coming in. You gotta prove it.”
While Sharpe was hesitant to give Hunter any props, his co-host in Johnson, initially 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, and Johnson immediately 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.”
Considering that Thomas just recorded one of the most impressive rookie seasons in the history of the Jaguars’ franchise, perhaps it’s for the best that Johnson changed course and showed some due respect.
Assessing how Travis Hunter fits into the Jaguars’ offense
While both Hunter and the Jaguars are fully committed to the idea of him playing on both sides of the ball, Jacksonville’s newfound 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.
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.
Suffice to say, 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, and it becomes rather difficult to project a steady target share of 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, Hunter should enjoy a modest yet healthy workload in year one.
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.
