Liam Coen is streamlining Travis Hunter’s two-way workload, deploying the Heisman winner in high-leverage situations to maximize his explosive playmaking ability while prioritizing his primary role at cornerback.
With Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen affirming former No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter's two-way role going forward, the next question is how he will be used on both sides of the ball.
Throughout the offseason, it has been reported that Hunter will take on a primary position at cornerback, while still having the opportunity to produce as a wide receiver.
On Tuesday, Coen provided some more clarity to the situation, saying that he plans on creating certain plays for his Heisman winning talent to take the field on.
"He's got to be able to know X, F, both those positions within the game plan and not the whole playbook," Coen said. "Third down, red zone, two minute, specific offense of plays in the normal flow of the game, we will package him in, as opposed to, 'Look, bro, you've got to know the whole offense.' That was a little much last year."
Packaging Hunter in seems like a smart decision, as it will keep opposing defenses on their toes and allow him to be fresher and less injury prone.
ESPN Jaguars reporter Michael DiRocco has tracked Hunter's snaps at each practice throughout Week 1, noting that he has played 34 on defense and 22 on offense.
This is a similar split to what was expected heading into training camp, with Hunter making plays on both sides of the ball.
Over the weekend, Hunter had the "most impressive practice of his career," according to DiRocco.
On the Jaguars' socials, they shared clips of Hunter making a high-level over the shoulder snag on offense before flying across the field to intercept starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence as a defensive back.
Following his strong showing, Hunter sat down with NFL Network's Judy Battista, where he gave a blunt response about how many snaps he envisions himself playing this year.
"All of them," Hunter said. "I can't stay on the sideline for nothing."
While it remains to be seen if this is plausible deeper into Hunter's career, his drive to continue playing both wide receiver and defensive back is applaudable.
Last season, Hunter played 67 percent of his snaps on offense, with the former Colorado star spending roughly a third of his playing time in the NFL on defense.
I expect this number to flip-flop, as Coen has seemingly confirmed he will be used in a more-limited capacity at receiver.
As far as roster depth goes, this also makes sense, considering the emergence of Parker Washington and continued development from Brian Thomas Jr., having Hunter primarily on defense seems like a smart decision
Alongside Montaric "Buster" Brown, Jacksonville's lead corner, Hunter will form the other half of a strong 1-2 punch on the outside of the defensive backfield.
