Jaguars HC Liam Coen says Travis Hunter will get a "likely uptick" in his defensive role this Sunday against the Bengals, according to ESPN's Michael DiRocco. The rookie played just six defensive snaps in the Week 1 victory over the Panthers.
What They're Saying
Coen: "Going into Week 1, it was, 'OK, we know that it's not going to be a ton on defense.' The goal is to increase and continue to increase [his defensive snaps]. It just so happens that we're playing Cincinnati with two good wideouts this week."
2025 Fantasy Football Impact
We all knew Hunter would play more than six defensive snaps per game going forward. The Jaguars had also previously indicated that his playing time could depend on matchups. You won't find many more important CB matchups than when you face the Bengals offense.
But will more defensive playing time mean fewer snaps on offense? We have no idea. Frankly, the Jags probably don't even know that answer.
Hunter has played one NFL game so far (which got interrupted by a lengthy first-half lightning delay, by the way). He played just six fewer offensive snaps than Brian Thomas Jr. against Carolina and ran six fewer routes, but matched Thomas in rate of being the first read.
We know Hunter's physically gifted, and we know the Jaguars want to get him the ball.
The unknowns should factor in to keep you from getting too high on the rookie. But those knowns -- plus the upside of this potential shootout -- make Hunter worth some risk when you're setting your Week 2 lineups.
Check our Week 2 WR rankings to see where he settles for your format. And check your Team Intel page to see if he makes sense for your specific lineup.
IDP Impact
If you play in a deep IDP league, then the biggest potential loser here looks like Jarrian Jones.
He ran as the primary outside CB opposite Tyson Campbell and would likely lose most of whatever playing time Hunter picks up.
Even last week, though, Jones worked third among Jaguars CBs behind Campbell and Jourdan Lewis. So Jones probably isn't in the plans for many (any?) IDP lineups.