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When it comes to new Jacksonville Jaguars multi-hyphenate Travis Hunter, the sky truly is the limit.
He's been compared to Champ Bailey on defense. He's been compared to Odell Beckham Jr. on offense. And his two-way ability? Well, that's earned comparisons to reigning NL MVP Shohei Ohtani, who is one of the few true two-way players in modern-day professional sports.
Discussing just how good Hunter could be right away, Louis Riddick noted that he feels like a lock to win Rookie of the Year. Why? Because his hand-eye coordination is on par, if not better than Hall of Famers like Jerry Rice and Michael Irvin.
“It will be Travis Hunter. He's just, I said it when I was out there at his pro day. In all my years of football, I used to come up here to Green Bay, my cousin was Tim Lewis, who was drafted here in 1983 as the first round pick, the 11th overall pick,” Riddick said.
“I used to come up here and train with him in the summertime. So I was around James Lofton, I've been around Andre Reid in Buffalo when my brother played there. When James Lofton was there. I've played with Jerry Rice, played against Jerry Rice, Michael Irvin, all these dudes. I have never seen hand-eye coordination like Travis Hunter in my life. He is the natural. He's just a natural athlete, a natural football player, and he's going to change the game.”
Alright, is comparing Hunter to two of the best wide receivers of all time potentially putting the cart before the horse? Would it make more sense to wait and see what Hunter looks like in an NFL offense at wide receiver before placing his name in the same breath as Hall of Famers? While yes, that's probably a wise idea, this is the NFL Draft, where every team gets better and every player is about to be a star; if Riddick is right, then Rookie of the Year should be considered a floor for Hunter's career, not a crowning accomplishment. Buckle up, Jaguars fans, as James Gladstone isn't messing around.
