One of the biggest highlights in the 2025 NFL Draft was when the Jaguars moved up three spots from pick No. 5 to pick No. 2 to select Travis Hunter. The move was a surprise to many, but it was something the Jaguars had been plotting since early April.
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Jaguars Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli joined SiriusXM NFL Radio and broke down how the Jaguars were able to trade up with the Browns to land Hunter. He revealed that new general manager James Gladstone, who led the draft process, came to the team wondering what their thoughts were on the price of moving up. Everyone was in.
“Sitting at five, we knew he most likely wasn’t getting to us,” Boselli said. “James [Gladstone] led this process and came to us and said, ‘Hey, what do we think about moving up?’ We felt like it was worth the price we were going to pay.”
.@Jaguars Executive VP of Football Ops Tony Boselli discussed the decision to select CB/WR Travis Hunter with the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft…
https://t.co/v3G0iz5IH6#Jaguars | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/4ifjOxj60U
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) May 23, 2025
Gladstone then reached out to Browns general manager Andrew Barry about making a deal to swap picks in the draft. A verbal agreement was reached between the two general managers in April at the owner’s meeting. As long as the Tennessee Titans drafted Cam Ward No. 1, which they did, then the two teams would make a deal. And it happened exactly like that.
“Give all credit to James Gladstone and Andrew Barry working through that in Early April,” Boselli said. “Going through the process, coming to an agreement that was contingent on Cam Ward going No. 1. We worked through it, had it set in place, and the waiting game goes.”
The Jaguars ended up sending their Browns pick No. 5, a 2025 second-round pick, a 2025 fourth-round pick, and a 2026 first-round pick. In return, Jacksonville got the Browns’ second-overall pick as well as the fourth and sixth-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Gladstone said in April that the new Jaguars’ regime wouldn’t be afraid to make splashes and trades under new leadership. He set the tone by making the move up for Hunter and showed his faith in how special Hunter can be as a player.
Boselli raved about how much the Jaguars believed in him prior to the draft, labeling him one of the best prospects in this year’s draft. He was impressed with his athleticism, versatility, and endurance when watching film on Hunter.
“Travis Hunter, in our opinion, was one of the best players in the draft,” Boselli said. “From an athletic standpoint, his endurance, athletic ability, his football instincts. You turn on the tape, and he stood out on offense or on defense.”
Hunter is expected to play both sides of the ball for the Jaguars. How do you think he will fare on both sides of the ball?
