Travis Hunter 2025 fantasy football outlook: When should the rookie star be drafted?
However, in the case of the Jacksonville Jaguars, they may have landed one in the 2025 NFL Draft when they selected Travis Hunter with the No. 2 overall pick to play two positions – wide receiver and cornerback.
Hunter is listed as a starting wide receiver on the Jaguars' first unofficial depth chart and as a second-string cornerback on defense. The team is expected to play Hunter on both offense and defense throughout the season, and that casts a little bit of a cloud over his fantasy football value.
Playing with Trevor Lawrence as his quarterback and alongside 2024 standout rookie Brian Thomas Jr., Hunter's status as a fantasy pick is pretty murky. Add new head coach Liam Coen to the mix and you have a recipe that will produce unknown results.
So, where should he be picked in fantasy football drafts? Let's take a look:
Travis Hunter fantasy outlook
Travis Hunter's ability to play defense brings real on-the-field value that no other NFL player has been able to accomplish at an extremely high level in decades.
However, fantasy football managers will hope he focuses mainly on offense, as that's where his fantasy points will be generated in most leagues.
Hunter has a current average draft position (ADP) of WR31 per FantasyPros. That slots him in as the second rookie wide receiver behind Tetairoa McMillan of the Carolina Panthers, whose current ADP is WR28.
He steps into an offense with a capable quarterback in Trevor Lawrence and an already established No. 1 target in the offense, Brian Thomas Jr.
Jacksonville's new head coach, Liam Coen, also instills confidence into the two-way star's future. With Tampa Bay in 2024, Coen was the architect behind another WR1 season for Mike Evans and had Chris Godwin on pace for a top-15 finish before he broke his ankle in Week 7.
It likely won't take long for Hunter to become Lawrence's second favorite option ahead of free agent signee Dyami Brown and tight end Brenton Strange. It also helps that Christian Kirk was traded to the Houston Texans and Evan Engram was released as part of a major roster shakeup this offseason.
The Jaguars and Coen are in uncharted waters in deciphering Hunter's actual usage, but as things currently stand, it appears Hunter is set for a near full-time role at wide receiver. This is a significant boost to his fantasy value.
Over the last two seasons, 12 rookies finished inside the top 15 at their respective positions, including seven in 2024 and three of those were receivers: Brian Thomas Jr., Malik Nabers and Ladd McConkey.
When should you draft Travis Hunter?
Hunter is currently being drafted 68th overall, which is relatively low considering he was the No. 2 pick in the NFL draft. For comparison, Marvin Harrison Jr. had an ADP of 15 after being selected as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Hunter is currently being drafted behind the likes of Xavier Worthy, Zay Flowers, Jameson Williams and George Pickens. Those four are also secondary receiving options on their respective teams, and each is in a proven offense; however, Hunter arguably has a higher ceiling and should be selected ahead of them. According to ESPN's Mike Clay, Hunter is projected to lead all rookies in receptions with 80, ahead of McMillan (75 receptions).
Rookies tend to come out of the gates slowly, so even if you happen not to land Hunter in the draft, it may behoove you to keep him on your trade radar as the season progresses. Over the last 15 seasons, 21 rookie wide receivers have posted 16 or more fantasy points per game from Week 9 on.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Travis Hunter fantasy football draft: When should you take rookie?
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