Jaguars, Browns make first major trade of NFL draft, as Jacksonville moves up for Travis Hunter
The Athletic
It didn’t take long for the first major trade of the 2025 NFL draft.
The Jacksonville Jaguars moved up to No. 2 on Thursday to select two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter in a splash for a new regime led by first-year general manager James Gladstone and coach Liam Coen.
To move up, the Jaguars sent the Cleveland Browns pick Nos. 5, 36 (second round), 126 (fourth round) and a 2026 first-round pick. The Browns also sent the Jaguars pick Nos. 104 (fourth round) and 200 (sixth round).
Hunter, who played wide receiver and cornerback for the Buffaloes and Jackson State under the tutelage of two-time Super Bowl champion Deion Sanders, is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and a unanimous All-American.
Hunter, 21, said earlier this month that he would quit football if the team that drafts him doesn’t let him play both offense and defense.
“It’s never playing football again,” Hunter told CBS Sports. “Because I’ve been doing it my whole life, and I love being on the football field. I feel like I could dominate on each side of the ball, so I really enjoy doing it.”
Hunter was the Buffaloes’ leading receiver with 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. He also led the team in interceptions, tallying four picks in 2024 and three in 2023 despite missing three games due to a lacerated liver.
Sanders slides
Shedeur Sanders – one of the biggest names in the draft as a polarizing prospect with a Hall of Fame father – was not selected in the first round, sliding multiple spots from where some originally projected the Colorado quarterback would be picked.
Only two QBs were selected in the top 25: Miami’s Cam Ward by the Tennessee Titans at No. 1 and Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart by the New York Giants at No. 25. The New Orleans Saints, who were previously rumored to be targeting a quarterback and potentially Sanders, took Texas offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr. with the No. 9 pick. The quarterback-needy Pittsburgh Steelers – a potential landing spot for Sanders – went with Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon at No. 21 to strengthen their defensive line.