NFL Draft mega-trade sends No. 2 pick Travis Hunter to Jaguars in deal with Browns

Hunter is widely considered the best player in the 2025 NFL Draft

In a blockbuster move, the Jacksonville Jaguars traded up the opening night of the 2025 NFL Draft with the Cleveland Browns to get the No. 2 overall pick.

The Jaguars selected Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter with the pick, marking the biggest acquisition in the early tenure of 34-year-old new general manager James Gladstone.

The Browns received the fifth overall selection in Thursday night's draft, the fourth pick in Friday night's second round (No. 36 overall), a fourth-round pick (No. 126 overall) and Jacksonville's 2026 first-round pick. The Jags will also get Cleveland's fourth-round pick (No. 104 overall) and also a sixth-round pick (No. 200 overall)

Until this trade, all 32 teams held their own first-round selection for the first time in the common draft era. The aggressive move was something CBS Sports reported was possible early Thursday morning, and Gladstone foreshadowed it just days into the job back in February.

"One of the trademarks of our leadership group is when there's an opportunity to be bold, we won't flinch," Gladstone told a group of Jaguars executives during the NFL Scouting Combine.

For more than a week, Hunter had been the overwhelming favorite to go to Cleveland, following behind the sure-fire No. 1 pick Cam Ward to Tennessee. The Browns had planned to deploy Hunter, a two-way star, as a wide receiver primarily had they selected the standout player.  

Browns GM Andrew Berry, now in his sixth year at the helm, recently compared Hunter to baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani. Such talk made it seem as though the draft would really start at No. 3 with the New York Giants on the clock.

Options for Berry at No. 5 could include Abdul Carter, Ashton Jeanty and Mason Graham, among others.

It is not immediately clear what position the Jaguars plan to use Hunter primarily. The Jaguars need a cornerback opposite Tyson Campbell, whom the previous regime signed to a four-year extension last offseason. Free-agent acquisition Jourdan Lewis is expected to play the nickel corner position.

Hunter could pair with Brian Thomas Jr. at wide receiver. Thomas Jr., a Pro Bowler last season, finished fourth in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting last season. The Jags aren't deep at receiver, with Gabe Davis coming off meniscus surgery and the team replacing Christian Kirk with Dyami Brown in free agency.

Gladstone uses the phrase "intangibly rich human beings" when asked what sort of players he wants on his team. Hunter's two-way ability is unlike anything the NFL has seen in decades, and scouts and executives have raved about his high character and football focus.

Thursday's trade marks the first time since 2023 a team has dealt into the top three on the day of the draft, following Houston's move from 12th to No. 3 to take Will Anderson Jr. after selecting C.J. Stroud with the second pick. In 2017, the Bears moved up one spot to No. 2 with the 49ers to take Mitchell Trubisky.

The move up for Hunter is something Gladstone has clearly been eyeing for weeks. At his introductory press conference, the GM mentioned the number of picks the Jaguars held over the next two years as an attractive aspect of the job.

"The amount of draft capital that we have at our disposal over the next two seasons, it's really exciting about what we can do there, especially knowing that it's the highest volume of draft capital that exists for any team in the NFL over the next two years," said Gladstone, a former Rams executive before getting the job in Jacksonville. "We're coming off two cycles with the Los Angeles Rams where that was the exact same case, 24 picks over the last two drafts. So, really this is a dynamic that I'm uniquely positioned to navigate and really looking forward to utilizing as a means of continuing to develop this roster." 

Hunter will become the first Heisman winner drafted by the Jacksonville franchise, but not the first one to play for them. Desmond Howard played one season with the Jaguars in their inaugural 1995 season, having been selected in an expansion draft. Andre Ware and Tim Tebow were each members of the Jaguars during training camp before being released prior to the start of the season.