Are the Jaguars expecting too much of WR/CB Travis Hunter ... or not enough?

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Jacksonville Jaguars backmost Trevor Lawrence, facing a third-and-15 from his ain 6-yard line, did not privation the checkdown.

Instead, helium looked for rookie Travis Hunter successful the mediate of the field. The walk was high, but Hunter jumped and snagged it -- with San Francisco 49ers information Marques Sigle connected his back.

The 28-yard gain, successful summation to earning a archetypal down and sparking the Jaguars' 2nd touchdown thrust successful a 26-21 Week 4 roadworthy victory, was the longest play successful Hunter's month-long NFL career.

"Travis acceptable a large space for maine to propulsion it and made a large play connected the ball," Lawrence said. "The information came backmost successful and tried to interruption it up, and it's a large drawback by Travis."

It was the archetypal "wow" play from the reigning Heisman Trophy victor who is known for playing connected discourtesy arsenic a receiver and connected defence arsenic a cornerback.

The Jaguars traded 4 picks to determination up to No. 2 wide to draught Hunter successful April. They wanted the aforesaid benignant of large plays helium made for Colorado successful 2024, erstwhile helium caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns -- portion besides tallying 11 walk breakups, 4 interceptions and 36 tackles.

So far, though, Hunter has yet to scope that level. He ranked seventh among rookies successful receiving yards per crippled (29.5), with zero touchdowns and 1 walk breakup entering Sunday.

Hunter has played 58% of the Jaguars' violative snaps and 38% of the antiaircraft snaps starring into Monday's matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN), according to ESPN Research. He's the 4th subordinate since 2007 to play 100-plus violative and antiaircraft snaps combined successful the aforesaid season.

However, some, specified arsenic Hunter's assemblage manager and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, are questioning whether the Jaguars are utilizing Hunter effectively, particularly connected offense. And others, specified arsenic erstwhile NFL antiaircraft backmost and existent ESPN expert Ryan Clark, are wondering if the Jaguars are asking excessively overmuch of Hunter to larn some positions.

But nary substance what the critics are saying, Hunter's coaches are being cautious astir his workload and are noting the concerns, but astatine the aforesaid clip are assured successful their ever-evolving approach.

"There's perfectly a push-and-pull of saying, 'What's excessively much? What's enough?'" Jaguars violative coordinator Grant Udinski said. "Because we privation to effort to maximize, and astatine the aforesaid clip optimize, his clip connected the field.

"We're ever exploring what's the champion mode we tin get him connected the tract and fto him spell play fast, spell play escaped without detracting from each the different things helium has to do."

EXPECTATIONS FOR HUNTER entering the play were high, particularly aft Jaguars wide manager James Gladstone called the 22-year-old idiosyncratic who could "alter the trajectory of the sport."

Through 4 weeks, however, the stats don't amusement overmuch of an impact: 13 catches for 118 yards and 11 tackles and 1 walk breakup.

Lawrence has targeted Hunter the 3rd astir (21) among Jaguars receivers, down receiver Read Entire Article