Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter was, without a doubt, one of the most gifted players in the 2025 NFL Draft. A unique two-way talent, the debate over how he should be used in the pros has been raging since he was still a Colorado Buffalo.
While at Colorado, his former head coach was Deion Sanders, a two-way star in his own right during the 1990s. Sanders saw the potential in Hunter and allowed him to play both cornerback and wide receiver.
However, most experts agree that playing both offense and defense in the NFL isn’t realistic, but where will he have the most impact?
Jaguars Urged To Prioritize Their Defense With Travis Hunter
That’s the debate that former Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl-winning safety Ryan Clark weighed in on. Now, an analyst for ESPN, Clark is known for being outspoken. According to a post from ESPN on Instagram, Clark feels the Jaguars will get the most out of Hunter if they commit him to one side of the ball.
“I think he has All-Pro written all over him…I believe the sky’s the limit for Travis Hunter, but if you want to get immediate impact out of this young player, you let him play defense and you let him go lock folks up,” said Clark in a quote on ESPN.
The Jaguars really wanted Hunter, as they made a massive trade with the Cleveland Browns to move from the fifth pick to the second pick, ensuring they got their man. The Heisman Trophy winner created an immediate buzz with questions about whether he was best as a weapon for quarterback Trevor Lawrence or as a lockdown corner.
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Clark is hardly the only former pro to state that the Jaguars are best served by using Hunter on the defense. Another former Steelers legend, Rod Woodson, also recently made his case for Hunter on defense. Woodson noted how challenging it is to find shutdown corners in the league. He added that it is far easier to find productive wide receivers than a corner you can count on for a decade or more.
Hunter’s WR Experience Gives Jaguars a Defensive Weapon With Elite Hands
Hunter has expressed his desire to continue to play both ways in the pros, but most experts agree that it’s more likely that he will play corner full-time and slot in as a wideout a few plays a game.
The fact that he played receiver means that he has the ball skills to make those tough interceptions when the ball comes his way. He is a ball hawk who can play from either man or zone with speed and agility that should scare opposing quarterbacks.
Hunter has been touted as being instinctive on the field and was called the best player on the Colorado team by a mile. Now the world will be watching to see how Liam Coen and the Jaguars choose to weaponize that talent.
