The Jacksonville Jaguars made a bold move during the 2025 NFL Draft, trading up to select Travis Hunter — a generational two-way talent capable of excelling on both sides of the ball. Before the draft, Hunter made it crystal clear: if he couldn’t play both offense and defense, he might walk away from football entirely.
“It's never playing football again,” Hunter said. “Because I've been doing it my whole life, and I love being on the football field. I feel like I could dominate on each side of the ball, so I really enjoy doing it.”
Veteran tight end Travis Kelce recently weighed in on the unique challenge of playing both ways in the NFL. Speaking about Hunter’s workload, Kelce pointed out that opponents will likely try to wear him down strategically.
“Teams are going to be going after him,” Kelce said, via Andrew Battifarano of the New York Post. “They’re going to try and make his day miserable. . . . Dude, if he plays corner, they’re just going to run deep balls at him all day.”
Along with the hype, Hunter received a record-breaking rookie contract. The Jaguars made a massive financial commitment to the former Colorado star.
“According to ESPN, the deal includes a $30.57 million signing bonus paid entirely upfront, making Hunter the first non-quarterback and non-No. 1 overall pick to get the entirety of the signing bonus upfront,” USA Today’s Nick Brinkerhoff reported.
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Although Hunter is expected to contribute on both sides, early indications suggest the Jaguars may lean toward using him primarily on defense. ESPN analyst Ryan Clark made his stance clear — he believes cornerback is Hunter’s true calling.
“Man!!! I’m going to die on the ‘TRAVIS HUNTER AT CORNER FIRST’ hill. He was born to do it,” Clark posted.
Clark even mentioned Hunter being a potential Hall of Fame talent — and he might not be wrong. The Jaguars appear to have a plan in place for managing Hunter’s rare skill set, and while he’s electric in all phases of the game, cornerback may ultimately be where he builds his legacy.