Travis Hunter's NFL debut saw him playing both sides of the ball, as expected for the two-way star. However, the Jaguars rookie spent much more time as a wide receiver than cornerback in the first game, leading fans to wonder what his role will look like as the NFL season goes on.
Jacksonville coach Liam Coen told reporters on Wednesday that there will be a "likely uptick" in Hunter's snap count on the defensive side of the ball on Sunday against the Bengals. The goal for the Jaguars is to increase Hunter's time on both sides as the season goes on.
"Going into Week 1, it was 'O.K., we know that it's not going to be a ton on defense.' The goal is to increase and continue to increase," Coen said. "It just so happens that we're playing Cincinnati with two good wideouts this week."
Hunter's increase on defense comes at a great time, as Coen mentions, since the Jaguars will face some powerhouse offensive players on Cincinnati's squad, including quarterback Joe Burrow and receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
In the Week 1 26–10 victory over the Panthers, Hunter played 42 offensive snaps, catching six passes for 33 yards. He then played just six snaps at cornerback, assisting in one tackle. We'll see how many defensive snaps Hunter competes in on Sunday.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jaguars Lay Out Defensive Plan for Travis Hunter in Week 2.
