JACKSONVILLE – Travis Hunter felt good in Week 1. Really good.
The Jaguars’ one-sided victory in this past Sunday’s regular-season opener marked his first game since last October, also marking a smooth transition back onto the field for the No. 2 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“I felt great,” Hunter said Thursday as the AFC South-leading Jaguars (1-0) prepared to play the Denver Broncos (0-1) at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colo., Sunday at 4:05 p.m.
Hunter played 33 snaps in the Jaguars’ 34-10 victory Week 1 over the Cleveland Browns, with 29 snaps at cornerback and four at receiver. That continued the Jaguars’ summer-long focus on getting Hunter – who played extensively as a rookie at corner and receiver – acclimated on defense.
Sunday’s snaps were Hunter’s first since Week 7 of the 2025 season, and he said he felt minimal rust.
“Just me getting on the football field and just getting back comfortable with myself, and it took me about a drive or two to realize I was playing football again,” Hunter said.
Hunter was only targeted in coverage once against the Browns, which is normally a sign of a corner preventing open receivers.
“He moved around really good,” Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile said. “He didn’t get a lot of ops, for sure, so that’s usually a good thing at corner. Overall he really did a good job and his eyes, his feet, all that stuff, looked good.
“Getting back, first game, I thought that was a great start for him.”
Hunter, when discussing Sunday’s matchup with the Broncos, said his goal moving forward is to “just go out there and play football.”
“Do what I do, and that’s just be great on both sides of the ball,” he said.
Week 2 will be a homecoming of sorts for Hunter, 2024 Heisman Trophy winner for the University of Colorado. Hunter travelled to Denver with the Jaguars for their 34-20 Week 16 victory over the Broncos, but Sunday will be his first processional game there.
“It felt like I just did my job to be able to go to the next level and be able to go back there and play,” Hunter said.