Jacksonville Jaguars’ defensive tackle Arik Armstead believes that Travis Hunter is poised to take a big step forward in his second NFL season.
Hunter’s rookie season was, unfortunately, cut short due to a knee injury. But right away, Armstead could see the potential impact that Hunter could have on both sides of the ball. As Armstead put it, he’s never been around a player with Hunter’s athleticism.
And before the injury, Armstead believes that Hunter was hitting his stride. In his final game, Hunter surpassed the 100-yard receiving mark.
“For one, what he did, not even attempted now, was outstanding and good for our sport. He’s a game changer,” said Armstead while appearing on Sirius XM NFL radio. “He’s probably the most naturally talented athlete, just pure athlete, that I’ve been around, and I’ve been around some amazing ones. So it was good for our sport and it was good for our team. He adds a lot of value on both sides of the football and just like with everyone’s career, you’re gonna have your rookie ups and downs. I think he was starting to hit his stride before he got injured and heading into this offseason, he’s looking extremely well and healing up amazingly.”
This year, the expectation is that Hunter will see more playing time on defense as he starts opposite of Montaric Brown. That said, James Gladstone and Liam Coen have made it clear that Hunter will continue to play both ways.
Although Hunter has missed time rehabbing from last year’s knee injury, the continuity of being in the same offensive and defensive systems can be key factors in him making that coveted Year 2 leap.
“I’m excited to see, as he gets back healthy, gets back into the fold, and hopefully is able to join us here soon back on the field, what he’s able to accomplish in Year 2,” Armstead added. “Things will slow down for him just like they do all of us, and he’ll be going into his second year being in the same system around the same coaches and knowing what is asked of him. We know how challenging that can be as a rookie, just mastering one side of the football. So I think in Year 2, he’s going to take a huge step and help our team in a lot of different ways.”
To keep Hunter sharp and involved during offseason programs without him able to be on the practice field, in addition to the team meetings, he spends time each day in the Jaguars’ virtual room. This allows him to get mental reps from the wide receivers’ and defensive backs’ perspective on the field.
Back in April, GM James Gladstone said that the plan for Hunter was for him to be at “full tick” come training camp.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Arik Armstead on what’s ahead for Jaguars’ Travis Hunter in Year 2
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire | USA TODAY Network
