Travis Hunter’s rookie debut wasn’t quite as advertised, at least from a production standpoint, and especially for his fantasy owners. The former Colorado Buffalo recorded just 33 receiving yards on six receptions, but he did manage to keep his promise of playing on both sides of the ball in the NFL.
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It wasn’t as exciting of a rookie debut as the masses had hoped for, but it’s a promise kept nonetheless. According to the former host of Undisputed, Skip Bayless, that alone is enough to warrant an NFL Hall of Fame comparison. “Travis Hunter is the closest thing to his college coach, Deion Sanders,” Bayless proclaimed during the latest episode of his self-produced and self-titled podcast.
“Deion was by far the greatest corner back, but Travis has the capability to at least be in the conversation with Deion,” he continued. Although, it is worth noting that Bayless isn’t willing to put the former New York Jet, Darrelle Revis, in that same conversation.
Suffice to say, in the eyes of the veteran commentator, Hunter’s rise to the top seems merely inevitable at this point in time. “Travis Hunter will be one of one… If he’s utilized correctly.”
From a WR1 standpoint, Hunter’s Week 1 metrics were certainly underwhelming. A meager average of 5.5 yards per catch won’t be enough to justify the two first round picks that Jacksonville traded in exchange for him on draft night.
Nevertheless, it’s his dual-threat capabilities that warranted such a price tag, and Bayless seems to suggest that he’s better off handling the defensive responsibilities while Brian Thomas Jr. handles the bulk of the receiving work.
“Jacksonville, on opening day, befuddled me by playing Travis Hunter 42 snaps on offense and only six snaps on defense. Upside down, wrong. You can find Travis Hunter as a receiver. There’s lots of good receivers everywhere. Travis Hunter can be a Pro Bowl receiver, but you can’t find Travis Hunter at corner back. You just can’t.”
Thankfully, for both Bayless and the Jaguars, Hunter’s Week 2 match up against the Cincinnati Bengals will likely serve as a more accurate measuring stick. He’ll be tasked with defending either Tee Higgins or Ja’Marr Chase, both of whom are considered to be some of the most potent wide receivers in all of football.
When it comes to defense, however, the Bengals were historically bad in 2024, so there will certainly be no shortage of opportunities for Hunter as a receiver. Liam Coen has been pretty outspoken about the fact that the franchise wants to utilize Hunter as a receiver first and as a defender second.
Nevertheless, Chase is capable of pushing even the best of NFL DB’s to their limit, so this Sunday will prove to be a telling one for Hunter’s capabilities as a defender. From his snap count to his two-way potential, everything about Hunter has become an experiment for both the Jaguars and the league as a whole.
He has the potential to break the meta, but as Bayless suggests, that’s only if he is utilized properly. Should Coen and co. fail to do so, then they’ll risk setting this franchise back another five to 10 years.
