A stunner in Jacksonville: Jaguars trade up to land 2-way star Travis Hunter in the NFL draft

By Canadian Press on April 24, 2025.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — When two-way superstar Travis Hunter first spoke to the Jacksonville Jaguars from the NFL draft Thursday night, both coordinators were on the other end of the phone.

It won’t be the last time they have to share Hunter.

The Jaguars traded up three spots to select the Heisman Trophy winner with the No. 2 pick in the draft. Jacksonville gave up four picks — including second- and fourth-rounders this year and their 2026 first-rounder — to land one of the most intriguing NFL prospects in draft history and set the tone for a new regime that features first-time general manager James Gladstone, first-time head coach Liam Coen and first-time executive vice president Tony Boselli.

“There are players that you can target and acquire who alter the trajectory of a game,” Gladstone said. “There are very few, and it’s rare to be able to target and prioritize a player who can alter the sport itself. And Travis is somebody that we view has the potential to do that.”

The Jags also received a fourth-rounder and a sixth-rounder in return from the Browns, with both picks coming in this draft. Gladstone said the sides first discussed a potential trade early this month and had the framework in place two weeks ago.

It became official minutes after Tennessee chose Miami quarterback Cam Ward at No. 1. Hunter will join franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Pro Bowl receiver Brian Thomas Jr. to create the core of Coen’s offense — and maybe his defense, too.

Hunter told NFL teams he plans to play both sides of the ball as a pro. The Jaguars envision him primarily as a receiver — he will start opposite Thomas and should give Lawrence another dynamic playmaker — but plan to have defensive packages for him.

“There’s no pressure,” Hunter said. “There’s no pressure for me. I just got to go out there and do my job, be Travis Hunter. They did everything they could to come get me. Now, I got to do everything I could to help win and help the organization, uplift them.”

Deion Sanders, who played defensive back and receiver during his Pro Football Hall of Fame career, coached Hunter at Jackson State and Colorado and had no qualms about playing him both ways.

Hunter played a whopping 1,461 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. By comparison, Denver cornerback Patrick Surtain II, voted the NFL’s defensive player of the year, played 978 snaps over 17 games — all on defense.

Sanders allowed Hunter to take several days off after games to recuperate, a luxury he’s unlikely to have as a rookie.

“We look forward to onboarding Travis,” Gladstone said. “For the start, our plan there is to have a heavier dose of offense early, knowing his more natural position is on defense. Offense certainly requires a lot of nuance, a lot of adjustments, and so I want to make sure he gets off to a good start in that sort of mental frame of mind. And then as we continue to build and get on the grass and even out that balance as time goes on.”

Last season, Hunter caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns and notched 35 tackles, 11 pass breakups, eight forced incompletions and four interceptions while allowing just one touchdown.

Gladstone, Coen and Boselli wanted to make a splash with their top pick. After weeks of speculation about staying put at No. 5 and selecting Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, they made a much bolder move.

Now, it’s up to trio to get the most out of Hunter.

“It was an awfully enjoyable moment in time,” Gladstone said. “It’s certainly one that I’ll remember and look forward to seeing the playback here in the coming minutes, hours, days that lie ahead, just so I can relive that.”

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Mark Long, The Associated Press