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If Travis Hunter can't play both ways, did Jacksonville Jaguars waste pick? ESPN debates
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- If Travis Hunter can't play both ways, did Jacksonville Jaguars waste pick? ESPN debates
Entering the 2025 NFL season, many eyes will be fixed on what happens with Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter .
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner was the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after the Jaguars traded up to acquire the once-Boynton Beach native. And now, with Hunter missing the team's second preseason game in New Orleans yet returning to some segments of practice on Aug. 19, the biggest question hovering over the team continues to grow:
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How much will Hunter play offense AND defense in his rookie season?
His impact on both sides of the ball was a huge factor in his college football superstardom, and it continues to be a topic popular enough to reach the airwaves of "Get Up," ESPN's morning talk show led by Mike Greenberg.
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Greeny and his guys -- Ryan Clark , Marcus Spears, Dan Orlovsky and Dan Graziano on this morning -- debated the topic and Hunter and his pending contributions to the Jaguars rebuild in 2025.
"If he doesn't play both sides of the football, it's a waste of a pick," said Clark, former Pro Bowl defensive back, referring to the trade the Jaguars made with the Cleveland Browns to get in position to pick Hunter, sending away next year's first-round pick. "He's not the No. 2 pick as a wide receiver. He's not the No. 2 pick as a cornerback. He is the No. 2 pick if he plays both. He is the No. 2 pick if he affects both sides of the football. If he doesn't do that, what you gave up, giving up next year's first-round pick to get him is not worth it to play offense primarily or no defense, or vice versa. ... If you have to make that decision based on his inability to physically hold up throughout 17 games, it was a mistake to draft Travis Hunter ."
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Orlovsky quickly retorted, creating a scenario most Jaguars fans would likely love.
"If he predominately plays offense, catches 70 passes for 2,000 yards and six touchdowns, and Trevor Lawrence looks like the No. 1 pick, (Hunter is) absolutely worth it," Orlovsky said.
Travis Hunter: How he impacts Trevor Lawrence
Ah, and therein lies the rub. It always comes back to the quarterback, right ? And in this case, that's Lawrence, who is entering Year 5 with his fourth different head coach. And though he has yet to even start working under his five-year, $275 million contract extension , the pressure is on for the QB to be the QB of the future.
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"The most important thing in Jacksonville is to get Trevor Lawrence to play at an incredibly high level, because he was supposed to at the No. 1 pick," Orlovsky said. "And if Travis Hunter is part of that, and he steps in — and even with the asset given, and the high draft pick — and this offense rolls and Trevor Lawrence looks outstanding, totally worth it."
Graziano pointed out, though, that Hunter can be an asset on defense, too, reminding the audience that the Jaguars had only eight takeaways last season (it was actually a league-low nine, but you get the gist).
"If Travis Hunter plays defense and gets six interceptions and catches 50 passes and Trevor Lawrence stinks, then what (Hunter) did doesn't matter," Orlovsky contended.
To which Clark protested: "Trevor Lawrence is responsible for Trevor Lawrence."
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He continued: "If he catches 50 passes and six interceptions, first off, (Hunter is) going to be an All-Pro cornerback. And as an All-Pro cornerback, who also caught 50 passes, you know what else he's gonna be? He's gonna be a freakin' unicorn, because nobody else in the history of the world has done that. And if Trevor Lawrence can't be the Trevor Lawrence that he was drafted to be, and (Hunter) catches 50 passes and Brian Thomas Jr. is Brian Thomas Jr., that's Trevor Lawrence's fault. Get a new damn coach, get a new GM and a new quarterback, cause it ain't (Hunter's) fault."
Can Travis Hunter really play both sides of ball in NFL?
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) calls a play with teammate wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) in the background before an NFL scrimmage at EverBank Stadium Friday August 1, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
This is the ultimate question that honestly won't be answered just this season but may take Hunter's entire career for a real conclusion. But sports media doesn't work that way. We want to know now. So what say you, Mr. Spears?
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"No. It's special packages on defense," Spears said. "I think they drafted Travis Hunter because they wanted him to play offense. And I think it's unfortunate, because I've been in line with R.C. on that one thing was when he said, I think on defense, if he fulltime went there, I think he'd be one of those (Patrick) Surtain-like, one of those guys that changes a defense."
Travis Hunter practice report
On Aug. 19, Hunter returned from what had been deemed an "upper body injury" that held him out of the preseason game at New Orleans . But he wasn't s a full participant, going through a few defensive drills before continuing that work as much of the rest of the team went through full periods.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Why Travis Hunter must play both ways to validate Jacksonville Jaguars
