Jacksonville Jaguars dual-threat rookie Travis Hunter won't be playing both ways during a single organized team activity session this spring.
Instead, the Jags will rotate the No. 2 overall pick between offense and defense.
Head coach Liam Coen noted on Tuesday that Hunter will still be in both meeting rooms.
"We won't put him in that situation to have him do that, although I'm sure he'd probably want to," Coen said, via the team's official website. "He still meets defensively every day that he's on offense, so he's getting the mental part of it and is able to catch up on some of the communication, some of the corrections off the film from the defensive side of the ball. He's getting a lot of the mental and it would probably be unfair to put him out on the grass and do both and ask him to go do that and see success."
Hunter is the first player in generations to plan on playing both sides of the ball full-time. As such, the Jags staff is smart not to grind on the rookie too soon. Coen said eventually, during the regular season, Hunter will probably practice both ways.
"In season, he's going to probably have to, just because it's the way practices are kind of organized," Coen said. "He's definitely going to have to do that. I envision maybe a third-down day in season where he's playing receiver, but he's also going to have to go get some reps on defense and be able to do some of those things. It will come up, absolutely.
"Just from the teaching and the initial stages of it, don't really see that being something we'll do anytime soon, mentally."
With the rookie attempting to do something no one in the modern era has done, there are legitimate questions as to whether Hunter's body can withstand 100 snaps of an NFL game. For his part, the rookie has expressed zero concerns, but his reps will be something the club has to monitor all season.
At this point, mental reps are as crucial for Hunter's development as the on-field work. After he spent Tuesday with the offense, Coen said the rookie, who worked exclusively on defense last Wednesday, is doing a good job picking up the scheme.
"I think he's about where we would expect as an offensive coach," Coen said.
