Outpoll | Jaguars plan to make rookie Travis Hunter the No. 1 target 'more often' beginning in London

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Jaguars plan to make rookie Travis Hunter the No. 1 target 'more often' beginning in London

Jaguars plan to make rookie Travis Hunter the No. 1 target 'more often' beginning in London

1 day ago7 min read5 comments

The Jacksonville Jaguars are orchestrating a significant tactical pivot in their transatlantic campaign, with Coach Liam Coen signaling a deliberate shift to elevate two-way rookie phenom Travis Hunter into a primary receiving role, a move that could recalibrate their entire offensive identity. This strategic evolution, set to debut against the Los Angeles Rams at the hallowed grounds of Wembley Stadium in London, emerges as a direct response to the perplexing inconsistency of last season's standout, Brian Thomas Jr., whose six drops and a palpable hesitancy on crossing routes—evident in three critical short-armed attempts over the middle—have created a tangible vulnerability in a passing attack meticulously designed to flow through him. Thomas, whose rookie year echoed the early promise of legends like Randy Moss with a spectacular 87 receptions for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns, now finds himself in a battle not just against opposing secondaries but against his own mechanics and confidence, a plight reminiscent of receivers who flashed brilliance only to be haunted by the dropsies; his game-altering 40-plus yard receptions that set up go-ahead scores against Houston and Kansas City prove the sublime talent is still there, yet the crucial drops in the closing moments of losses to Cincinnati and Seattle reveal a troubling pattern that the Jaguars' brain trust can no longer ignore.Enter Travis Hunter, the second overall pick and 2024 Heisman Trophy winner from Colorado, a player whose very presence on the field is a throwback to two-way ironmen like Deion Sanders, possessing an almost supernatural knack for contorting his body for impossible catches in traffic and then transforming a simple 5-yard slant into a 25-yard gain with the elusiveness of a Barry Sanders in the open field. Operating primarily from the slot in three-receiver sets and logging 63% of offensive snaps, Hunter’s 20 receptions for 197 yards barely scratch the surface of his potential impact; his leaping, contested grab between two Chiefs defenders and a similarly spectacular reception against the Texans were moments of pure, unadulterated athletic genius, the kind of plays that make offensive coordinators dream big, even as two other potential touchdown throws his way were cruelly intercepted, highlighting the fine margins between triumph and tragedy in the NFL.Coach Coen’s declaration that the staff must now engineer progressions to make Hunter 'target No. 1 a little bit more often' is not merely a play-calling adjustment but a philosophical commitment to leveraging unique talent, acknowledging that the offense’s ceiling might be intrinsically tied to how often they can get the ball into the hands of their most dynamic playmaker.The challenge, of course, is multifaceted: integrating Hunter more heavily into the offensive scheme while he continues his unprecedented dual role on defense, a balancing act that demands meticulous snap management and situational awareness, all while ensuring quarterback Trevor Lawrence develops the instinctual trust to look for Hunter in high-leverage moments, a chemistry that can’t be manufactured in the film room alone. Lawrence himself has acknowledged the conundrum, noting that game scripts sometimes derail the best-laid plans for feeding Hunter, but he emphatically stated the team is 'consistently trying' to scheme more touches for a player whose after-catch ability is a defensive coordinator’s nightmare, capable of tilting field position and breaking games open in a single, electrifying sequence.This London game against a formidable Rams squad, therefore, becomes more than just another international series contest; it is a live laboratory for the Jaguars’ offensive future, a test of whether they can successfully transition from a system reliant on Thomas’s proven, if currently shaky, downfield prowess to a more diversified, Hunter-centric attack that prioritizes yards after catch and improvisational brilliance. The broader context of this shift speaks to a league-wide trend of seeking offensive efficiency not just through traditional X-receiver dominance but through maximizing the unique skills of versatile weapons, much as the San Francisco 49ers have done with Deebo Samuel or the Minnesota Vikings with Justin Jefferson in his prime; Hunter represents this new archetype, a player who defies easy positional categorization and forces defenses to account for him on every blade of grass.For Brian Thomas Jr. , this isn't necessarily a demotion but a potential liberation, a chance to work through his technical and mental hurdles with less defensive attention, possibly rediscovering his form against single coverage while Hunter commands the double-teams.The Jaguars, sitting at a promising 4-2, are at a strategic inflection point; committing to Hunter as a primary option is a bold, forward-thinking gamble that could propel them into the AFC’s elite, but it also carries the risk of disrupting existing chemistry and overburdening a rookie who is already carrying a historic two-way load. As they take the field at Wembley, all eyes will be on number 12, watching to see if this planned offensive revolution can translate from the whiteboard to the gridiron, potentially marking the dawn of the Travis Hunter era in Jacksonville.