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Why Jaguars’ Travis Hunter just playing cornerback in 2026 is ‘the right thing to do’ appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Travis Hunter may be one of the NFL’s most versatile athletes, but one analyst believes less could actually mean more for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2026.
During a recent appearance on ESPN, Booger McFarland argued that Hunter should focus exclusively on playing cornerback this season, saying it’s “the right thing to do” as the former Heisman Trophy winner enters the second year of his NFL career.
“I think him playing cornerback is the right thing to do,” McFarland said. “Yeah, he can play some offense, no problem, but he needs to major in defense.”
Hunter proved throughout college that he could dominate on both sides of the ball, but the NFL is an entirely different challenge. The preparation required at the professional level makes playing full-time offense and defense an almost impossible task over a 17-game season.
The Jaguars drafted Travis Hunter because of his rare athleticism and elite ball skills, traits that have the potential to make him one of the league’s premier defensive backs. Rather than dividing his attention between two positions, Hunter can devote all of his energy to refining the technical aspects of playing cornerback, from route recognition to footwork and coverage technique.
There will always be curiosity about whether he could contribute on offense, especially given his dynamic playmaking ability with the ball in his hands. But Year 2 is about establishing a foundation.
If Hunter develops into one of the NFL’s elite cornerbacks first, the Jaguars can always expand his role later. For now, McFarland’s reasoning is easy to understand. Sometimes the fastest path to becoming a superstar is mastering one position before taking on another.
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