The AFC South has changed. The Indianapolis Colts aren't the team to beat anymore, and while they can still make some noise and win the division, the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars pose a major threat.
Despite being bottom-feeders for most of their history, the Jaguars have usually been a thorn in the Colts' side. The Colts are 28-22 in 50 games against them, but that number falls to 10-15 on the road. Notably, Shane Steichen hasn't done much better, going 2-4 against them.
That's why, now that they're coming off a 13-win season, watching them add a prime two-way reinforcement spells trouble for Steichen and company. According to multiple reports, Travis Hunter looks huge in training camp, and he looks thirsty for revenge after a disappointing rookie season.
The Indianapolis Colts must neutralize a bigger, stronger Travis Hunter
Of course, getting bigger and stronger isn't everything, but Hunter's skinny frame and lanky legs were a big concern when he first entered the league, especially for someone looking to play both sides of the ball.
“When he came in a year ago, I couldn’t believe his legs. They were the smallest legs I’ve ever seen,” Jaguars reporter Rick Ballou told Ari Meirov, predicting he'll shift to playing more on defense with some offensive subpackages in year two.
Hunter added 10 pounds of muscle in the offseason, and that should help him be more durable after missing 10 games as a rookie with a season-ending LCL injury. Even so, the Jaguars' improved wide receiver corps should allow him to focus mostly on cornerback duties.
That might be a problem for a Colts team that lost one of its most important weapons in the passing game. Without Michael Pittman Jr., Tyler Warren and Josh Downs will have to pick up some of the slack; Alec Pierce won't be able to settle for a big-play-specialist role, and maybe even Nick Westbrook-Ikhine will have to step up.
Hunter's athleticism and ball-hawking skills were on full display in his brief stint last season. He gave up a 68.3 passer rating and a 50 percent completion rate for 106 yards and zero touchdowns. He was also a turnover machine in college.
The Colts should be well-equipped to deal with him and Trevor Lawrence's passing game, with a healthy Charvarius Ward and Sauce Gardner handling things in the boundary and Justin Walley handling things in the slot.
However, at 185 pounds and with his speed and athleticism, defenses will have a tougher time manhandling or bullying him. He had just 28 receptions for 298 yards and one score as a rookie, often struggling to create after contact because of his skinnier frame.
The Colts don't have much margin for error in what might turn out to be Steichen's and Chris Ballard's final season with the organization. The Jaguars have always been a problem for this team, and while there's no guarantee that Hunter will ever live up to the sky-high hype, he's clearly trending in the right direction.
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