Travis Hunter on defense: How rookie impacts Jacksonville Jaguars depth at cornerback

Yahoo

5 days ago

The Jacksonville Jaguars traded up for and drafted two-way star Travis Hunter with the intention of playing him on both sides of the ball.
That's still the plan so far, but his workload on the field has leaned largely toward the offense. He's only gotten reps on defense in a media-closed session for the Jaguars during the third organized team activity practice.
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The team has allowed him to work with both the offense and defense in the classrooms and in meetings. Hunter has also spent extra time meeting with coaches on both sides of the ball on his own.
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It's important to note that it's early in the process. Hunter has only been a member of the team for a little over a month.
The Jaguars won't play a meaningful game until their home opener Sept. 7, leaving plenty of time for Hunter to get more time on the grass with the defense.
Still, what's the current outlook for the Jaguars if Hunter doesn't see substantial time at cornerback?
Versatility key for Jaguars' free agent addition defensive back Jourdan Lewis
From left, Jacksonville Jaguars safety Antonio Johnson (26), safety Daniel Thomas (20), cornerback Tyson Campbell (3), safety Andrew Wingard (42) and cornerback Jourdan Lewis (2) walk off the field during the first organized team activity at Miller Electric Center Monday, May 19, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla.
The Jaguars finished as the worst passing defense in the league. As they try to turn around that performance, they'll depend on several players to close the gap.
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Tyson Campbell is the clear-cut top corner on the team. He's coming off a down year where he missed games due to a soft tissue injury, but when healthy he's one of the top defenders at his position.
Then there's Jourdan Lewis, a player who was brought in this offseason to be a lot of things. For starters, he was tabbed as one of the best nickel corners in the league and the Jaguars paid him as such.
Nickel was an inconsistent position in the previous regime's tenure. Also, Lewis' leadership is something valued amongst the young secondary of the Jaguars.
But it appears another plan for Lewis is to man the fort as Hunter comes along. Lewis has shared reps with other players opposite cornerback Tyson Campbell.
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His ability to cover players inside and outside, while also adding value in run game, will be key as offenses continue to evolve.
'Jourdan obviously has been able to do that in his career,' defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile told reporters during OTA No. 4. 'I know he will continue to do that with us.'
Buster Brown impresses Jaguars coaches, keying in on another sleeper season
Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown (30) celebrates his interception during the second quarter an NFL football matchup Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024 at Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
At this point, carving out a role is nothing new for 2022 seventh round pick Montaric 'Buster' Brown.
He's shown throughout his career that he'll find a role on the defense and this year isn't looking any different.
With Hunter splitting time between both sides of the ball, and Lewis positioning himself as the starting nickel, Brown will once again be leaned upon as someone who'll see the field a lot for the Jaguars.
Campanile called him 'physical at the line of scrimmage' and noted how attentive he is.
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'Buster's done a really good job,' the defensive coordinator said. 'He's a super diligent guy, too. Really, really detailed in what he does.'
Brown recorded 75 total tackles, eight pass deflections and an interception in 10 starts for the Jaguars last season. With a potentially more defined role, he could see an uptick in those numbers.
Jarrian Jones receives praise from defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile for versatility
Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones (22) stretches of during the fourth organized team activity at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. Tuesday, May 27, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
The player who might surprise people this year is second-year player Jarrian Jones. Jones played primarily at nickel last season.
This year, the coaching staff clearly want to feature him at multiple positions. Jones has seen time inside and out, like Lewis.
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He's shared the field with different units, manning multiple positions across the defensive backfield. And he logged some praise from Campanile already.
'I have been really fired up about him because he is a very bright guy and he is a competitor. He definitely has the ability to play man-to-man and play sticky,' Campanile said. 'But he has good ball skills and has a ton in his body physically.
"He can stop, start, really good coverage guy and has a really big skill set. A wide-ranging skill set as a DB.'
That skillset could become useful if the Jaguars are forced to play Lewis at a different position for long stretches. Having a player who can slot in and be productive against wide receivers is a plus for the improvement of Jacksonville's defense.
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Rather than pigeonholing him as primarily a nickel defender, expect him to move around in the defense.
'I'm really excited for where he can go this year,' Campanile said. 'This is a big opportunity for him and I think he is going to do a really good job for us this year.'
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Travis Hunter on defense: How he fits in Jacksonville Jaguars CB depth