Is Hunter better off playing one position?
Michael Holley and Mike Florio discuss Travis Hunter becoming a full-time cornerback and question if the Jacksonville Jaguars gave up too much in trading up for the former Colorado Buffalo.
Video Transcript
Of the Jacksonville Jaguars last year made the bold move from five to two to get two players in one.
Travis Hunter, cornerback and receiver.
We're gonna use him on both sides of the ball.
Well, the extra physical demands, concerns that had been articulated by many.
You're taking a guy who played both ways in college, and you're gonna put that on him at the pro level.
Is it doable?
Now, they are As he's getting healthier and healthier, there was a report yesterday from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network that he's gonna be a full-time corner in 2026, with maybe a little smattering.
And it takes me all the way back to last April.
The whole justification for moving up to number two was we're getting two players in one.
Well, now we're getting one player with a little something extra.
So would you have moved from five to two if you knew that the long-term vision was just a corner?
Are you gonna go that high for just a corner who's only gonna help you on one side of the ball?
So I- that report to me is a concession by the Jaguars that they bit off more than they can chew with this idea that anyone is capable of being Chuck Bednarik in 2026.
Look, look, Mike, I guess, I guess the, the positive, positive thing is I'll give them credit for a quick pivot because if they really were, just really proud of themselves and, very arrogant, they'd, they'd, they'd try to keep it going.
they'd try to, justify moving up a- and all the, all that extra draft capital just to make sure that we knew that they got a two-way player.
I'll give them credit.
they realized it's just not gonna work, and I think a lot of people said that going in.
I was one of the people who thought that he'd be able to do it, but it's just too difficult, in today's NFL.
The way the game is, it's just too difficult to expect any player to be out there for a- at a high level, you know, 80, 90 snaps on defense and on offense for a 17-game season.
So, it's the smart decision to make sure, you know, Travis Hunter is focused on one side of the ball.
But they probably Not probably.
They overpaid for Travis Hunter.
They know that.
They overpaid for him.
And I remember last year as the draft was approaching, John Harbaugh, Ravens coach at the time, explained that from his perspective, the concern is having enough hours in the day to know both sides of the ball, to know your assignment, where you're gonna line up, what you're supposed to do on this play.
He Jason Garrett would tell a story about when Deion Sanders was playing receiver, like he, he needed to be told more than what the play is.
He needed to be told what his assignment on the play is when they were in the huddle.
I, I had the position last year because look, I, I'm, I'm big in chasing your dream, even if your dream is unrealistic.
I think the mere pursuit of an unfulfilled dream is still something that makes life worth living.
Just the idea that there's something that you have that you want, and if you get it, great, but if you don't, there's still plenty of lessons to be learned in the pursuit.
Let this guy dream.
Let this guy try.
Let's see what happens.
And he's gonna have to come to the conclusion himself that this isn't gonna work.
My guess is after his experience last year, he realized it's different- Yeah trying to do this in the NFL than doing it at Colorado.
So now he settles into one position, and he maximizes his talents at that position.
I think that's the way it had to happen.
It's a shame he got injured, but I think that process was necessary to get a young man whose body and brain are still developing to come to the conclusion on his own that this isn't something I can do.
And, you know, it's, it's harder to get the guy to come to that conclusion when you draft him, and you're out there bragging to the world, "We got two players in one."
Yeah.
Look, Mike, they, they were wrong that, in their thought that he could do, he could play both positions, but this is where they were right.
He- I think he could be a great corner.
I think he will be a great corner, and I think he If he had played receiver, if they said, "Hey, you're not gonna play corner.
You'll be a receiver," I think he'd be a great receiver.
He is that talented.
He has the ability to play both positions at a high level, just not at the same time in the same game.
And so i- they picked a side for him, and I think it'll work out for the Jacksonville Jaguars
