Travis Hunter | Colorado 6’0 / 188 lbs. May 18, 2003 (21)
Travis Hunter was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars, becoming the 1st wide receiver and 2nd overall player in the 2025 NFL Draft.
COLLEGE PRODUCTION
| Year | Games | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Target Share | Catch Rate | Receiving Touchdowns | Age | School |
| 2022 | 8 (WR) | 18 | 188 (10.4 ypr) | – | – | 4 | 19 | Jackson State |
| 2023 | 9 (WR) | 57 (77 tgts) | 721 (12.7 ypr) | 16.2% | 74.0% | 5 | 20 | Colorado |
| 2024 | 13 (WR) | 96 (125 tgts) | 1258 (13.1 ypr) | 26.0% | 76.8% | 15 | 21 | Colorado |
When considering the context surrounding Hunter’s receiving statistics, they quickly start to become astoundingly impressive. Hunter took home both the Bednarik (Best Defensive Player) and Biletnikoff (Best WR) awards, and his per-play metrics on both sides of the ball confirm that this is one of the most dynamic prospects to ever enter the draft. Hunter is an efficient, explosive producer on offense, and balances that explosiveness with consistent catching and elite contested catch metrics (66.7% rate, for 2nd in his class). The question is not if he will produce when he plays offense- the question is if he will play enough. It is worth noting that Hunter accumulated nine interceptions over his three college seasons, including 1 pick-6. These numbers project some marginal extra value for Hunter in IDP leagues.
FILM
Hunter’s film is, to many appreciators of the sport, a spiritual experience of sorts. Hunter is the worst-kept secret in football at this point; there are few players who have ever had as many reps to be analyzed, and to take it a step further, Hunter comes in as one of the most scrutinized prospects of all time. But not without good reason- Hunter’s athleticism is genuinely on another planet. He is twitchy, rangy, and explosive, and blends that next-level athleticism with natural, refined technique in all facets of receiving: smooth and explosive routes, excellent catch point mechanics, and explosion after the catch. There are no holes in his game as a receiver except maybe his play strength, which is 1. Easily projected to improve and 2. Easily schemed around for players of Hunter’s ability. Hunter projects as an immediate impact starter at WR, with room to reach unimaginable heights if he can focus on his craft (as Steve Smith said).
ATHLETIC TESTING
Hunter, like many blue-chip prospects, decided to forgo combine testing. He ran routes at his pro day, looking fluid and explosive, focusing on option routes and short-intermediate work. He did not participate in any athletic testing.
DRAFT ANALYSIS
Rapid Reaction to Draft Capital: Excellent
Rapid Reaction to Landing Spot: Above-average
In a shocking twist, just moments into the draft, Hunter landed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Hunter being the 2nd overall pick was less shocking, but does confirm his bluechip status as a dynamic impact player from day 1 on both sides of the ball.
It’s yet to be determined what Liam Coen’s plan for Hunter’s snap distribution will look like, but what is known is that Jacksonville has an established alpha WR1 in Brian Thomas Jr. If anything, this is probably for the best for Hunter’s career, as he can focus on becoming the team’s shutdown CB1 and allow his natural gifts to lead to extra contributions on offense. Unfortunately, I don’t think this is the most ideal spot for Hunter in terms of receiving volume. However, he will still be an uber-efficient WR2 and will gain additional benefit from easier coverages working across from Thomas.
FANTASY INSIGHTS
“Trevor Lawrence’s WR2” isn’t the sexiest fantasy pick, but it is pretty undeniable that Hunter brings a different level of juice to that title, even if he might not be playing 100% of offensive snaps. If Hunter can even manage a 40-50% snap share, he is explosive enough to provide significant fantasy upside, ranging in the WR2-WR3 range. If Hunter hits in an even bigger way than we are expecting, this snap share could lean towards 60-70%, which would vault him towards the low-end WR1 to high-end WR2 range. And if Hunter ends up transitioning into being a full-time WR and part-time CB, which is unlikely but not impossible, his ceiling is about as high as any WR in the league- realistically, somewhere in the WR5-10 range.
Taking Hunter in rookie drafts entirely depends on your risk tolerance. The truth is, no matter what you think you might know, or what the coaches might say, we aren’t going to find out where Hunter’s career goes until it actually goes. I will likely try to buy in to have some share of the fun, but that heavily depends on the market cost. It takes some stones to draft him at the 1.03, but I don’t hate it. I’ll likely look to invest around the 1.05-1.07 range if possible.
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