Why the Jaguars Monday Night Football win is bad news for Browns future

The Jacksonville Jaguars upset the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football.

The Jaguars improved to 4-1, which is a nightmare scenario for the Cleveland Browns.

On draft night, the Browns agreed to trade back from the No. 2 overall selection, allowing the Jaguars to select two-way sensation Travis Hunter out of Colorado.

While Hunter’s impact in the NFL has not been completely felt, the Jaguars being one of the best teams in the NFL is a massive disappointment for the Browns, who were hoping for another premium draft pick.

Thus far, it seems like Browns general manager Andrew Berry is winning the trade for Hunter. But that draft pick would have been a cherry on top. The Browns acquired Mason Graham with the No. 5 overall selection and used the bonus pick in the second round on Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins, who has been the best in his class.

Cleveland’s offense is so bad that it often feels as if Judkins is their only chance at moving the football off the line of scrimmage. While the haul was too good for Berry to turn down, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has gotten practically nothing out of his wide receivers, including Jerry Jeudy who only has 15 receptions for 197 yards through five games.

Hunter would have had an opportunity to become an impact receiver for the Browns right away. But Cleveland’s passing game is so inept that they might not have used him to his full potential.

The Browns ultimately understood that they would not be competing for the Super Bowl, or even the NFL Playoffs, when they decided to let the Jaguars take Hunter off the board. Berry properly assessed that the Browns have several holes, and they were able to solve issues on their defensive line and in their backfield with Graham and Judkins in the top 50.

However, that 2026 Jaguars first-round pick was the crown jewel of the trade.

While Graham has been incredible, he’s a run-stuffing defensive tackle. That’s not exactly a premium position. Judkins has made his impact known immediately, but running backs are a dime a dozen in the NFL.

The Browns are still navigating their quarterback situation while trying to move on from the $230 million mistake that Deshaun Watson created.

Dillon Gabriel’s NFL debut was not too bad, but he didn’t exactly overexcite anybody. The Browns are treating fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders like a project and nobody knows exactly how many games he will have an opportunity to start next season.

All signs point to the Browns drafting a quarterback in 2026, despite expectations for this class falling short on Saturdays. At 1-4, the Browns are one of the worst teams in the league and should have an inside track at securing a top selection.

If the NFL season ended today, the Jaguars would have the No. 26 overall pick. The Browns will be hoping that the Jaguars continue to lose games, especially as their schedule gets tougher. According to Sharp Football Analysis, Jacksonville had the sixth most difficult schedule in the NFL this season.

I’m not sure about that but it would’ve been nice to have another quality pick. https://t.co/IsZkLVznZL
— Nick Pedone (@NickPedone12) October 7, 2025

A first round pick should still yield an impact starter for the Browns, but it sure would have been nice for that to be a premium draft selection.