Eric Mangini calls out Travis Hunter's two-way NFL potential despite college domination

Travis Hunter's dream of being the first full-time two-way player in the NFL in decades has been called into question by some of the sport's veteran statesmen, including former New York Jets and Cleveland Browns coach Eric Mangini. The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted a rookie wide receiver and cornerback mesmerized by his two-way play at the University of Colorado. But Eric Mangini thinks the grind of the pro game could be too much even for a talent as unusual as Travis Hunter's. Travis Hunter made headlines last year playing with the Colorado Buffaloes and their head coach, Deion Sanders. He took an eye-popping 118 snaps a game, playing leading roles on offense and defense and making a serious bid for the Heisman Trophy. The Jacksonville Jaguars are now counting on his unusual skill set to remake their roster and play him at both wide receiver and cornerback. That move might not be as smooth, though. "He's shown that he's built different, but there's a significant difference between college football and the NFL," said Eric Mangini."You're adding the five games plus whatever you're playing in the preseason. The quality of players you're playing against is good every week." On the Breakfast Ball podcast, Mangini outlined why that might not work: “I don’t think that plan is necessarily going to work,” said Mangini. “It’s one of those things where, okay, if Travis Hunter is covering their best receiver, you’re going to tell your best receiver, ‘Hey, go run a go route all day. You’re a decoy. We’re not going to throw you the ball.’ You’re not going to know where he’s going to be defensively.” In the meantime, the Jacksonville Jaguars are slowly acclimating Travis Hunter to the pro pace. In OTAs, he lined up nearly exclusively as a wide receiver, with few reps at corner. That could be part of a building-once-you-get-there plan—or an indicator of how the Jaguars plan to utilize him in the near term.Also read: Travis Kelce’s performance questioned as Eric Mangini cites his relationship with Taylor Swift Travis Hunter’s NFL journey will be closely watched, not just for his undeniable athleticism, but also for the way he challenges traditional roles in professional football.