Inside Jaguars' plan to help Travis Hunter become two-way NFL star: ‘I've never seen him tired'

New York Times

24-07-2025

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Trevor Lawrence thought he had plenty of time.
As the first round of the NFL Draft began in April, the face of the Jacksonville Jaguars was wholly unaware his team was preparing to steal the spotlight from the rest of the league. So Lawrence handled his daughter's bath-time routine, assuming the Jaguars wouldn't be on the clock until they were up at No. 5.
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And then Lawrence's phone blew up with the news. The Jags traded a haul of picks to the Cleveland Browns to move up to No. 2 for two-way sensation Travis Hunter, effectively dotting the exclamation point on the new regime's bold offseason.
'I'm like, dammit, I missed it,' Lawrence told The Athletic on Wednesday after the Jaguars' first practice of training camp. 'Everybody was calling me. It was awesome. We got a special player.'
General manager James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen were among the many who fell in love with Hunter during the pre-draft evaluation. They didn't want to feel regret over any wasted opportunities during their initial draft together in Jacksonville, so they reached out to the Browns and New York Giants, who were picking third.
The Giants were still sorting through their plans at quarterback, so they weren't wholly ready to engage, but the Browns were receptive from the start. The Jags and Browns had the framework of the deal in place with less than two weeks to go before the draft. So long as quarterback Cam Ward went to the Tennessee Titans at No. 1, the Browns would flip the pick to Jacksonville.
They just needed to stifle the news. No nonsense. No leaks, not even internally to the quarterback.
They accomplished that mission, of course, dishing out a package that included two first-round picks and a second-rounder to secure Hunter, the Heisman Trophy winner who dazzled at Colorado as a wide receiver and a cornerback.
Now, the more important mission involves Hunter's integration. His first practice of training camp mirrored much of his spring workload. Hunter lined up with the receivers during each offensive period, but he spent special teams periods with defensive coaches to go over various fundamentals.
WR day for Travis Hunter but he is getting some DB work during the special teams part of practice pic.twitter.com/6ivZImRvVO
— Jamal St. Cyr (@JStCyrTV) July 23, 2025
Of the Jaguars' first five practices of camp, Coen estimated Hunter would have three offensive days and two defensive days, pending any necessary adjustments. Hunter's routine will flip during defensive days, as he'll spend special teams periods with the offensive staff.
Eventually — and soon, by all indications — Hunter will practice at wide receiver and cornerback during the same sessions, even switching from his green offensive jersey to the white defensive jersey. It only happened once before, the final day of minicamp, but the Jags know the ramp-up is likely imminent.
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'It's more about us trying to make sure he's prepared for that moment,' Coen told The Athletic. 'He's one of the most crazy in-shape players I've ever seen. His stamina is crazy. He can just go … forever. I think he's itching to do it more, and we're trying to make sure we do the teaching progression (correctly), so he can go play fast. Ultimately, how do we deploy him on both sides of the ball? We've still got to kind of figure that out. What's he truly best at?'
The simple question comes with a complex answer. While the majority of teams polled by The Athletic prior to the draft believed Hunter would be best suited as a full-time corner who could be a difference maker with 10-15 snaps per game at receiver, the Jaguars had a different outlook. (Coincidentally, so did the Browns, who were almost certainly going to take Hunter at No. 2 if the Jaguars didn't make such a strong offer, according to league sources.)
Hunter has game-breaking ability at wideout, and the Jaguars thought he was at his best on offense when he could get into the rhythm of the game. And since Hunter won't be playing full time at both spots, they envision a scenario where he could play high-leverage defensive situations where he could attack the ball.
'He can handle it,' Lawrence said. 'That's what's unique and special about him. He's the best-conditioned guy I think I've ever seen. He can run all day up and down the field. I haven't seen him tired one time. He's fresh when he goes into the locker room after practice. Everybody else is gassed, and he's like, 'I feel great.' It's unique. I don't know what he does, or if he's just born that way. I know he works really hard, but it's impressive to see him (in action).'
At this moment in time, Hunter is a better corner than receiver simply because he's got more experience on defense. Plus, Colorado managed his practice workload to keep him fresh for games, so he didn't have the time to refine his fundamentals.
That's partly why teams — not just the Jaguars — were salivating over Hunter's untapped potential. They truly don't know how great of a player he can become until he gets more consistent exposure to NFL coaching over a longer period.
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'That's why we're (starting with) more offense, not necessarily to say that he's going to play more offense this fall,' Coen said. 'It's because that's where he needs the most development right now. There's so much more fundamentals, technique, detail, timing, being at the right spot at the right time, a lot more verbiage.'
Still, the possibilities are tantalizing. There were numerous occasions Wednesday when Hunter lined up at receiver alongside 2024 first-rounder Brian Thomas Jr., certainly leading Lawrence to dream about the matchups they could create in Coen's system. But conversely, Hunter and cornerback Tyson Campbell could also become an elite tandem.
Oh, and the plan is always pending. Hunter could play 75 percent of the offensive snaps in one game and 75 percent of the defensive snaps in the next if the matchups are more advantageous. At minimum, it'll give the opponents something to think about.
They surely won't be able to make assumptions about where he'll be. As Lawrence has already seen firsthand, the Jaguars aren't afraid to be bold when it comes to Hunter.