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The Jacksonville Jaguars put on one of the most exciting primetime games of the season when they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the final minute of Monday Night Football in Week 5 – a result usually reserved for the Chiefs’ opponents in those types of games, and not the other way around.
There were a handful of notable big plays throughout the game that led to the Jaguars moving to 4-1 on the season. Jacksonville linebacker Devin Lloyd’s choice on the goal line certainly influenced the outcome. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s resilience after he forced his way into the end zone with just 23 seconds left on his first-and-goal play was the lasting highlight. In between those moments, however, the performance of wide receiver/defender Travis Hunter is creating excitement about what could happen this season after Jacksonville’s stellar start to the year.
The Heiman version of Hunter finally came to life on Monday night.
The two-way phenom played both sides of the ball, logging 25 snaps as a cornerback and 39 snaps as a wide receiver. On offense, Hunter saw three targets, all three of which he hauled in for a total of 64 receiving yards, one of which was a highlight-reel catch for 44 yards between two defenders. On defense, he was targeted three times, but gave up just one catch for seven yards and also recorded a forced incompletion. For his efforts, he earned a 77.4 grade and a 77.3 coverage grade, both season highs.
Beyond just his production, his use in this game really made me feel like the best version of Travis Hunter – the one the Jaguars envisioned when they traded up to No. 2 overall to draft him – manifested itself. Hunter played the majority of his offensive snaps in the slot against the Chiefs (28) with 12 additional snaps as an outside wide receiver. His work in the slot earned him a 79.9 grade, and most of his production came from that alignment. Because of his speed and ability to threaten defenses vertically, it is difficult for defenses to find the right type of defender to contain him when he is given that kind of space. However, on Monday night we also saw the Jaguars reap the benefits of their creative handling of Hunter. Late in the second quarter, they gestured him from a closing lineup to the backfield next to Lawrence as the second running back. At one point, Hunter rushed out to the flat, where he caught a short pass at the line of scrimmage, but was able to make two defenders miss and gain 10 yards after the catch. This again showed how valuable he can be if his team is willing to give him space to work.
On the defensive side of the ball, his numbers speak for themselves, but dig a little deeper and you’ll see Hunter improving his coverage game from these three targets. The first came early in the game, where Mahomes tried to target tight end Travis Kelce. It was Cover 1 and Hunter was lined up on the outside against Kelce, who made a breaking cut in an attempt to gain the necessary two yards. Hunter was able to navigate through traffic and follow Kelce the entire route, and while Kelce could have made the catch, Hunter’s presence was a factor in why he didn’t. In the second goal he was assigned to Xavier Worthy on the outside. The Jaguars give a Cover 3 look before snapping, but pivot to a more off-quarter look, giving Worthy some space underneath to make a catch for the seven yards allowed. On his final target of the night, Hunter was again paired with the speedy Worthy, this time as Worthy ran his special go route. Hunter had pretty good coverage outside the coverage and was able to mirror Worthy deep downfield and stay in phase, leaving no room for a catch despite Patrick Mahomes’ overthrow, once again neutralizing one of Kansas City’s most dangerous offensive weapons.
Monday night’s performance was reminiscent of why Hunter was viewed as the best player in college football in 2024 and worthy of last April’s No. 2 overall selection. His two-way skills are truly unique in the league, and he’s only going to gain more confidence in that as his rookie season progresses. The Jaguars also seem to be gaining more confidence in not just getting snaps, but meaningful snaps on both sides of the ball. That should only keep moving forward.
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