Who Should I Start? Terry McLaurin or Travis Hunter

Wednesday, September 10, 4:01 PM

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin was slow out of the gate in Week 1 against the Giants, catching two of his four targets for 27 yards. A slow start to the season could have been somewhat expected for McLaurin after limited practice time amidst his contract negotiations. The talk of a slow start could have been mitigated if he and Jayden Daniels were able to connect on a deep shot where McLaurin had his man beat badly on a double move. With the new acquisition, Deebo Samuel Sr. making his team debut, play caller Kliff Kingsbury made an emphasis to get Samuel involved, and he has established a good connection with Daniels after McLaurin missed a lot of time in training camp. A positive, at least for McLaurin, is that he did not face any restrictions regarding his snap count and routes. The star receiver started slow last season as he built rapport with Daniels, and should be expected to bounce back against an exploitable Green Bay secondary. McLaurin has faced the Packers three times in his career and has put up strong numbers, catching 16 of 27 targets for 252 yards and three touchdowns. He should be viewed as a mid-range WR2 with upside in a projected high-scoring Week 2 matchup against the Packers.

Wednesday, September 10, 2:11 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter's two-way role is set to grow in Week 2 as the Jaguars prepare for the Bengals. After logging 44 of 63 offensive snaps and just six on defense in his NFL debut, the staff plans to ease him into packages on the back end while still managing his workload. Hunter already looked comfortable on offense, leading Jacksonville in targets (8) and receptions (6) for 33 yards, and his ability to threaten defenses after the catch should continue to earn designed touches. The added defensive snaps give Jacksonville a flexible chess piece for passing downs and late-game situations. With Cincinnati's defense still unproven, expect Hunter's snap share and impact to climb as the Jaguars find more ways to keep their difference-maker on the field.