JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It took some time with injuries at the cornerback position, but Jaguars fans got to see a full game at cornerback from last year’s second overall pick, Travis Hunter. Sunday was actually the first time Hunter had exclusively played one side of the ball.
Cornerback is among the hardest positions to play, especially early on in one’s career. Despite not playing the position much as a rookie, Hunter has caught on early in his sophomore season and has been a difference-maker in back-to-back weeks for the Jaguars.
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Against the Bengals, Hunter allowed four receptions on seven targets for 26 yards. He added two PBUs and an interception, nullified by a roughing the passer penalty. Considering Burrow threw the ball 54 times on the day, that’s a really, really good day from Hunter.
On the season, Hunter has allowed 10 of 17 targets to be caught (58.8%) for 129 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception, according to Pro Football Focus. That’s good for a passer rating against of just 58.2. He still has yet to allow a touchdown as a pro.
Among the top 68 cornerbacks with at least 100 coverage snaps, Hunter ranks 9th in passer rating against (58.2), 23rd in completion rate (58.8%), and 6th in PBUs (3). He also happens to be the Jaguars’ least targeted cornerback, essentially ignored by the Browns and Broncos.
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In man coverage, Hunter is statistically the best corner in the NFL, allowing zero receptions on five targets and an interception for 0.0 passer rating. Jourdan Lewis isn’t far behind himself with a 15.6 rating in man coverage.
If Hunter can continue this level of play, the Jaguars might have themselves one of the league’s best corners very quickly. With Montaric Brown battling injuries, Hunter becomes that much more important as he’s the Jags’ only true outside corner.
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