JACKSONVILLE — The player the Jacksonville Jaguars selected No. 2 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft is expected to start at cornerback Sunday when the AFC South champions host the Cleveland Browns at EverBank Field at 1 p.m., his first game action in 10 months after a knee injury cut short his rookie season.
“It’s really just football,” Hunter said from the Jaguars’ locker room at the Miller Electric Center. “I’m really happy to be able to go back out there and play football again.”
Hunter’s last game was the Jaguars’ loss to the Los Angeles Rams at Wembley Stadium in London last Oct. 19, when he recorded his first NFL 100-yard receiving day and first NFL touchdown. A knee injury sustained in practice two weeks later ended his rookie season with 10 games remaining.
“It’s about to be 10 months since I played a real down of football,” Hunter said. “It started off a little rusty, but I started to get back in my groove towards the end of training camp.”
Hunter was a full participant throughout training camp, including joint practices against the New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile said Hunter’s extended work at cornerback during the final weeks of camp improved timing and cohesion with the defense. “Having him with us a little bit more, that’s been good for all that,” Campanile said. “We do a fair amount on defense, so there is a lot of communication, and we really rely on that at every position.”
Hunter said the reps built trust with his teammates. “It just helped a lot being able to be comfortable when I’m on the field with the guys, let them know that they can trust me,” he said. “I’m going to be able to do my job. I’m going to be in the right spot when I need to be.”
The Jaguars (13-4, AFC South Champions in 2025) face a Cleveland team that went 5-12 last season and installed first-time defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg. Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski said the new scheme adds uncertainty. “Any Week 1, there’s always the questions going in to how true are they going to be to what they’ve shown in preseason or even what they’ve shown in previous years,” Udinski said. “A new coordinator adds that extra element of challenge because you see that he has a diverse set of backgrounds and experiences being a part of different fronts and different coverage structures.”
Veteran defensive tackle Arik Armstead, who posted 5.5 sacks and eight quarterback hits last season, drew praise from Campanile heading into the opener. “He had a great summer,” Campanile said. “He looks great. Honestly, I think he looks as good as he ever had.”
On the injury front, right tackle Cole Van Lanen (knee) was listed as limited and is expected to be a game-time decision Sunday. Running back LeQuint Allen Jr. (hip) was limited after missing Wednesday’s practice, and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (hip) was limited for a second consecutive day but has said he will play.
Hunter made clear he has no interest in watching from the sideline again. “Everybody knows I can’t sit on the sideline,” he said. “I don’t like sitting on the sideline.”