The Jacksonville Jaguars truly thought they had hit the jackpot by drafting the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner, Travis Hunter. They traded up from the fifth pick to the second pick because he wasn’t a single-dimensional player. Bringing him uplifts both sides of the ball, at least that’s what the Jaguars thought. Four games in, he’s barely made an impact. Now, his struggles have become a prime topic of conversation, even catching the attention of Bill Simmons.

During a recent episode of The Ringer Fantasy Football Show, host Craig Horlbeck remarked, “Travis Hunter just being irrelevant, just a disaster. We joke on the fantasy show, we call him expensive Wandale Robinson.” Simmons, although quick to counter that, didn’t hold back in his analysis:  “It’s almost insulting to Wandale Robinson at this point. He’s like expensive Pop Douglas.” It’s the kind of comparison that sticks because it shows just how far Hunter is from living up to the huge expectations that came with his draft hype.

On the defensive side, as a cornerback, Hunter’s impact is not much. He has played merely 39 percent of snaps with no record of an interception, let alone any major plays. Week 4 saw him benched for the second half, and he had just nine plays in the first half. As for the offensive side, there’s not much difference. Even though he started as a wide receiver more (59% of offensive plays), he still holds 13 snaps for 118 yards and no touchdowns. If that wasn’t bad, he recorded a fumble against the 49ers. Now, look at Pop Douglas, or Robinson for that matter. 

Drafted in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the New York Giants, Robinson showed promise early in his career. In the 2024 season, he played all 17 games, starting seven, and recorded 93 receptions for 699 yards and three touchdowns. His performance was notable, especially considering the Giants’ offensive dynamics. However, in the 2025 season, Robinson’s production has dipped. Through four games, he has 18 receptions for 237 yards and one touchdown– although he did have a career-high 142-yard performance against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. While these numbers aren’t disastrous on paper, they still fall short of the expectations set by his earlier performances and the draft capital invested in him.

Demario Douglas was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, with the 210th overall pick. This late-round selection typically comes with lower expectations and financial commitments. Douglas signed a four-year contract worth $3,973,332, including a $133,332 signing bonus and $133,332 in guaranteed money. 

On the other hand, Hunter was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, a position that typically commands a substantial financial investment. He signed a four-year contract worth $46,649,114, which includes a $30,566,628 signing bonus. In the beginning, it looked like the investment will pay off. 

In his first NFL game with the Jacksonville Jaguars, he was one of the last players to walk into the locker room, still soaking in the 26-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers. He had played on both sides of the ball. Although the numbers didn’t look jaw-dropping: six catches for 33 yards; one tackle, he played 44 snaps on offense and six on defense, he still became the second player in the past 10 years to play at least 30 offensive snaps and five defensive snaps in the same game. 

So, this historic contribution in his debut two-way game is impressive. Yet, the criticism focusing on his offensive struggles, lack of separation in man coverage, lazy route running, and questions about the effectiveness of his two-way usage in the NFL cannot be ignored.

But Hunter’s two-way talent is the reason why he won the Heisman Trophy. It’s the reason he got drafted as the second-overall pick in the NFL draft. It’s indeed true that his debut isn’t as splashy as many thought it would be. It’s been only four weeks into the season. Maybe that is why the Jaguars aren’t panicking yet. 

In the same Week 4 game against the 49ers, Hunter made an impressive 28-yard catch as a receiver and recorded two tackles, and allowed one reception for 7 yards in nine snaps of the first half as a corner. Afterwards, head coach Liam Cohen admitted, “We probably got a little, I don’t want to say impatient, but he had the one thing, you know, still been going through the process of it,” highlighting his learning curve. He didn’t have the opportunity to fully develop before the Jaguars pushed him to take the charge, hoping to prove their decision of drafting him as the No. 2 overall pick justified. 

His flashes at wide receiver show he can make big plays, and Monday against the Chiefs, he’ll need to be relied on by Lawrence. Kansas City’s defense, seventh in passing yards allowed, hasn’t faced the Jaguars’ explosive playmakers yet. Expect Hunter to be targeted often, with Jacksonville counting on him to impact the game on both offense and defense.