Jaguars looking to make Travis Hunter more of a focal point on offense after rookie’s slow start
Travis Hunter ranks fourth among all rookie wideouts in receiving yards this season, but he’s recorded only 20 catches and 32.8 yards per game in that department.
The Jacksonville Jaguars haven’t come close to maximizing Hunter’s potential yet, and first-year head coach Liam Coen knows he and his staff could do a better job of getting this year’s No. 2 overall draft pick more involved on offense.
“Scheming him open is part of it, No. 1,” Coen said Wednesday, via ESPN. “Our job as an offensive staff [is] to make sure we’re putting him in the progression and putting him in the position to be No. 1 [option] a little bit more often in some ways.
“And then when he is the primary [option], we’ve got to throw and catch. We’ve got to make sure that we identify it, find him, be able to be at the right spot at the right time. So, I think it’s a combination of a lot of those things that ultimately can all be controlled.”
The Jaguars are across the pond preparing for a Week 7 matchup in London’s Wembley Stadium against the Los Angeles Rams. Both teams are 4-2. The Jaguars began the year 4-1, their best start since the 2007 season, before falling to the Seattle Seahawks 20-12 this past weekend.
While it’s enjoyed early-season success, Jacksonville is in need of more receiving production. Tight end Brenton Strange piled up 20 receptions and 204 receiving yards in five games before going on injured reserve with a hip injury. Wideout Brian Thomas Jr. is experiencing a bit of a sophomore slump after his head-turning rookie campaign, accounting for four drops and a reception percentage of just 51.1% so far, according to Pro Football Focus. For reference, he had six drops all last season while catching 67.4% of his targets, per PFF.
[Get more Jaguars news: Jacksonville team feed]
Hunter reeled in six passes in his NFL debut. Since, he hasn’t had a game with more than four catches. He’s tallied more than 50 receiving yards once and has 197 on the season.
“It is very important for me to be patient,” Hunter said, via ESPN. “Just got to let the game to come to me. Coach is trying to dial up a couple things for me, and I’ve just got to continue to just work and just having the guys trust me because I’m doing my job every time.”
Hunter, a two-way superstar and Heisman Trophy winner at Colorado, has continued to play both receiver and cornerback at the next level.
He has logged 256 offensive snaps and 148 defensive snaps this season, per PFF. But in two of the Jaguars’ six games, he’s played single-digit defensive snaps.
Right now, Hunter has a bigger role on offense. And the Jaguars want him to get the ball more in that role.
