Roll The Tape: Has CB/WR Travis Hunter Arrived? Is Packers' Defense Elite?

The Green Bay Packers have been a different team defensively in October. Jaguars WR/DB Travis Hunter has been flashing the potential that made him the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Giants WR Malik Nabers has picked up where he left off last September before tearing his ACL. Each week, I dive into the All-22 coaches' film before offering a few insights to watch. Here are three developments that could be long-term storylines involving some of the best teams and players in the NFL. When the Jacksonville Jaguars traded significant draft capital to the Cleveland Browns to select Travis Hunter with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, doubters wondered whether the Heisman Trophy winner could make his mark as a full-time two-way player. Most projected him as a standout at wide receiver or cornerback, but few believed he could shine as a regular playmaker on both sides of the ball because of the taxing workload and the daunting challenge of mastering two marquee positions with limited practice reps. After Hunter suffered a season-ending knee injury during his rookie season, on the eve of taking on a bigger workload at wide receiver, not many expected him to bounce back as a two-way standout. The skepticism only intensified coming into this season as the Jaguars projected him as a starting cornerback despite the fact he logged most of his snaps at wide receiver last year. Despite head coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone offering detailed explanations that the increase in defensive snaps reflected a change in roster construction, Duval County was up in arms over the potential loss of Hunter as a two-way contributor. The gradual "ramp up" period designed to help Hunter return from injury while acclimating to a full-time role as a CB1 and offensive specialist frustrated observers who wanted the first-rounder to serve as the Jaguars’ shutdown corner and primary perimeter playmaker on offense. After watching Hunter shine in Week 6 on both sides of the ball, the Jaguars deserve credit for the developmental plan and how they deployed their budding star over the first few weeks. The Jaguars used a college tactic to maximize his talents on defense by positioning him as the "field corner" (cornerback who aligns to the widest side of the field). They've done so in a scheme that features some "Quarter, Quarter, Half" concepts that instruct the field corner to play "read-man" coverage against the outside receiver on the wide side of the field. By putting Hunter in this role, the Jags are playing to his strengths as an instinctive cover corner with outstanding ball skills, while letting him get comfortable on both sides of the field. As each rep affords Hunter an opportunity to master his technique and footwork from both sides, Jacksonville has quietly prepped the 6-foot, 189-pounder to eventually "travel" with the opponent’s WR1. The plan paid off this past Sunday against the Texans, as Hunter shadowed Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins. Although he didn’t follow the 6-foot-4, 222-pounder into the slot, Hunter's ability to line up at outside corner opposite the big-play specialist allowed the Jaguars to play "best on best" on defense in key moments. And based on PFF numbers, the move worked: Collins caught two of his four targets while defended by Hunter for 63 yards. Although one of those receptions went for 42 yards following a double move, the second-year pro was in perfect position to defend the ball but was simply beaten by a pinpoint pass from a red-hot C.J. Stroud. Hunter made amends for the huge gain with a critical goal-line interception that showcased his instincts and awareness in coverage. Hunter was positioned at left cornerback and followed his assignment on a post-corner route that led him inside before perfectly executing a speed turn to get back into proper coverage position. While Stroud’s errant pass landed squarely in Hunter’s chest, it was the latter's awareness and instincts that caused the game-changing interception for the Jaguars. Offensively, the Jaguars increased Hunter’s workload against Houston by utilizing him as WR3 in their spread formations. He motioned around to draw defenders, but Coen also used the pre-snap movement to create leverage for his spectacular playmaker on downfield routes. On Hunter’s 19-yard reception in the second quarter, the slick route-runner crossed the field before weaving outside on a switch release to create leverage on a 15-yard dig route. By motioning him across the field and snapping the ball while he was in the slot, Hunter won the route with his favorable leverage against an outside defender. Hunter later produced another big play on a slant route from the slot, using his speed and quickness to outmaneuver the slot defender. His crafty wiggle at the top of the release separated him on an easy pitch-and-catch from Lawrence. With Hunter also flashing spectacular running skills in space, the quick-rhythm throw was a low-risk, high-reward item on Coen’s call sheet. Finally, the Jaguars’ clever deployment of Hunter at running back in the tight red zone created a winnable matchup against a linebacker in the slot. By aligning him in the backfield before running an angle route that put him behind a short crossing route, the Jaguars created a window for Lawrence to drill a pass into the sure-handed pass-catcher between a pair of linebackers unable to squeeze the route due to the route-running chaos around them. With Coen digging deep into his bag of tricks to help Hunter get more touches in a pivotal divisional game, it appears the Jaguars are finally ready to unleash their two-way standout on the football world when they return to action following a Week 7 bye. Count me among the skeptics who didn't buy defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s bold claim that he arrived in Green Bay without a fixed scheme or pre-defined playbook. Despite his success building a championship-caliber defense in Philadelphia and serving as a defensive-minded head coach with the Arizona Cardinals, I did not believe the young defensive architect would build a playbook after assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the Packers’ personnel instead of arriving with a call sheet. Whatever the case, the Packers' defense dismantled Cowboys QB Dak Prescott and Co. in a 23-13 victory last Thursday. It marked Green Bay's third consecutive game registering multiple takeaways while also holding its opponent to fewer than 15 points. The stellar performance from a unit missing three defensive linemen, rising star linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and All-Pro pass-rusher Micah Parsons ranks among the most dominant performances of the season. It's a far cry from where this unit was in the opening weeks of this season, much less late last season. The Cowboys were completely befuddled by the Packers’ varied looks, as Gannon showed the football world how to build a scheme around the individual and collective talents of a defensive lineup loaded with ultra-athletic and aggressive playmakers. With safeties Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams, linebacker Zaire Franklin, edge Lukas Van Ness and defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt settling into their respective roles as disruptors, their creative playcaller is utilizing a myriad of overload blitzes and simulated pressures from exotic, pre-snap disguises to keep quarterbacks and coordinators guessing at every turn. Moreover, Gannon's constant "bluff and blitz" tactics challenge the quarterback's mental and physical toughness, with wrong answers leading to blown protections and big hits that can turn into turnovers. Additionally, the veteran DC's crafty chess game will bait QBs into critical errors that result in pick-sixes from the Packers’ ball-hawking defensive backs. Green Bay leads the NFL with nine interceptions, thanks to an overwhelming combination of blitz pressure and sticky coverage. The blitz-heavy approach taps into the speed, quickness and explosion of an athletic bunch that ramps up fast and free in an aggressive scheme. Studying the All-22 coaches’ footage from Week 6, the perfectly choreographed "bail out" strategy from Williams led to a pivotal red zone interception. The aggressive playmaker was aligned at the line of scrimmage, then retreated to a "robber" spot to intercept a pass to wideout CeeDee Lamb at the goal line. By positioning the deep middle safety deep in the box to threaten an edge pressure, Gannon enticed Prescott to dismiss a blindside defender as part of the pass rush, leading to a critical error from a veteran QB who typically takes outstanding care of the ball. Javon Bullard’s fourth-down breakup late in the fourth quarter was another example of the Packers’ exotic pre-snap disguise leading to an errant throw from Prescott. The Packers’ aligned in a mugged-up look with seven defenders at the line before dropping out into a three-deep zone with the third-year pro floating into the flat. Although Prescott anticipated pressure with a sprint-out pass, the switch from man to zone led to a late throw that Bullard knocked down, resulting in a crucial turnover on downs. The Packers’ success against the Cowboys is part of a three-game streak in which the unit has forced 11 turnovers. As opponents continue to wilt under Green Bay's relentless pressure, Gannon is building the fast, violent takeaway machine he promoted when he took the coveted job in the offseason. New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers has quietly posted three straight 100-yard games after missing most of 2025 with a torn ACL. The former top-10 pick has shown no ill effects from the injury, showing outstanding route-running skills and playmaking as the Giants’ WR1. Since busting out against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4 with a six-catch, 112-yard effort that included a 25-yard touchdown, Nabers has caught 29 passes for 398 yards and a pair of scores on 42 targets. The third-year wideout has flourished as New York's No. 1 option by producing 18 first downs and seven explosives during this three-game stretch. Nabers is again routinely snagging balls on the perimeter again and giving the Giants' passing game more pop as Jameis Winston and now J.J. McCarthy have taken to force-feeding him the ball. With Nabers primarily aligned out wide and Isaiah Likely positioned in the slot or as an attached tight end, the Giants are forcing opponents to make tough decisions when trying to neutralize their most explosive weapons. If defensive coordinators try to take away the big-play receiver with "cloud" coverage (corner jams the receiver at the line of scrimmage, with a half-field safety over the top), the team risks Likely splitting the seams for huge gains. If the defense focuses extensively on Likely, Nabers has proven he can win one-on-one coverage, with his explosive rate ranking near the top of the charts. With Nabers' return adding a new dimension to this offense, future opponents will need a creative plan to handle the Giants' emerging big-play specialist.