The Jacksonville Jaguars made a splash in the 2025 NFL Draft last night. Holding the No. 5 overall pick, they traded up three spots with the Cleveland Browns to move up to the second pick.
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With Jacksonville holding the second overall pick, they selected Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter. The Jaguars showed their belief in the Heisman winner, giving the Browns a 2026 first-round pick, their 2025 second-round pick, and a 2025 fourth-round pick.
Jacksonville desperately needed a playmaker under their new regime, and they feel they Hunter was worth trading up for. They view Hunter as a guy who can excel on both offense and defense.
While many thought the Jags’ move to trade up was bold by their new leadership, not everyone is a fan. Take Fox Sports radio host Colin Cowherd, for example.
Cowherd thought it wasn’t smart for Jacksonville to give up the future assets they did for Hunter. One reason he thought it was a bad trade was the team not knowing each other well enough, and the depth due to it being a new regime.
Cowherd said via the Herd with Colin Cowherd:
“It’s hard for me to have sympathy for some of these losing franchises,” said Cowherd. “There’s a reason these franchises draft at the top every year. They [Jacksonville] trade up in the draft, they have a first-time head coach, first-time GM, a first-time offensive coordinator. They’ve had one little brief three-day camp. You don’t even know your personnel good enough to make a massive trade.”
.@ColinCowherd reacts to the Jaguars “overcompensating” by sending their 2026 first round pick to Cleveland so they could draft Travis Hunter pic.twitter.com/ruBxKx7QLw
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) April 25, 2025
The Jaguars plan on starting Hunter off as a wide receiver, per sources. They will then allow him to transition to their cornerback room, planning to utilize him on both sides of the ball.
It makes sense for the Jaguars to prioritize Hunter as a pass-catching option. New head coach Liam Coen is an offensive-minded coach, and quarterback Trevor Lawrence needed another weapon to throw to.
Last season, Hunter won the Heisman after having 96 catches for 1,238 yards and 15 receiving touchdowns. On defense, he had 36 tackles, four interceptions, and 11 pass deflections. He’s been a playmaker on both sides of the ball during his four-year college career.
Do you agree with Colin Cowherd calling the Jaguars’ move to trade up for Travis Hunter was a mistake?
