Why Travis Hunter's two-way dreams might rely on 2026 Jaguars season

The Jacksonville Jaguars made the incredibly bold decision to trade up in the 2025 NFL Draft to select Travis Hunter in the hopes he'd become a legitimate two-way superstar in the NFL.

He was a good wide receiver and cornerback in college with Colorado, but after year one with the Jaguars in the NFL, his season was cut short due to injury, and he really didn't make a huge impact on both sides of the ball.

ESPN's Bill Barnwell believes that how he plays in 2026 will decide his future as a two-way player. He thrives on both sides of the ball; the dream stays alive. But in any other scenario, the Jaguars will likely make him focus on just offense or defense.

Travis Hunter's two-way future might rely solely on 2026 outcome

"If Hunter can stay healthy and make an impact on both sides of the ball on a regular basis, his goal of being a two-way player should still be on track," Barnwell writes. "If he gets hurt, or ig the Jaguars aren't able to carve out a meaningful role on one side or the other for their most interesting player, he might be something closer to a full-time wide receiver or (more likely) cornerback in 2027."

There are plenty of interesting players around the NFL to watch this upcoming season; on the Jaguars alone, Bhayshul Tuten, Parker Washington, and Brian Thomas Jr. are some of the more fascinating players in the NFL this year.

But the potential for what Hunter could be is probably greater than any other player in the NFL. If he could thrive as a receiver and cornerback, he could be one of the most valuable players in the league.

Such a future is up in the air after his injury-shortened 2025 rookie season. Liam Coen and the Jaguars are likely to give it one more go for Hunter as a two-way player. They spent a fortune to get him, thanks in part to the allure of two players in one.

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If things go south in 2026 for Hunter, whether it's due to injury or that he's only good on one side of the ball, then the Jaguars might end the two-way dream for the 2027 season.

Hunter's most likely path to success as a two-way player is to become a good cornerback while earning around half the snaps on offense. A solid cornerback who is also a team's third-best receiver would make for quite the valuable player.

Accomplishing that goal, which wouldn't even be the dream of being elite at both spots, is going to be hard. He'll need to play much better on defense and somehow be an impactful WR with Thomas, Washington, and Jakobi Meyers.

Will Hunter become a true two-way player? That answer will likely be decided based on how he plays in 2026. A good two-way year, and the dream stays alive. If something goes wrong, more likely than not, he'll be forced to stick to one position.

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