Jaguars' Travis Hunter Selection Continues to Receive Accolades

The Jacksonville Jaguars had as exciting an NFL draft as any team in the league, largely a result of their stunning move to land the best player in the draft.

When taking a look at the favorite pick for all 32 franchises after last week's draft, Pro Football Focus landed on the expected pick for the Jaguars: wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter, the No. 2 pick in the draft.

"We’ve talked ad nauseam about how good Travis Hunter is. He earned PFF receiving and coverage grades above 85.0 while playing full time at both positions this past season. This was my favorite pick because of new general manager James Gladstone's aggressiveness, trading future second- and first-round picks to move up three spots to secure Hunter. It was well worth it, in my opinion." Pro Football Focus' Trevor Sikkema said.

Hunter was widely seen as one of the top two talents in the entire draft, considered an elite prospect at both cornerback and wide receiver. The Jaguars are set to play the Colorado Buffaloes star and Heisman Trophy winner at both positions, but will major in the art of learning the receiver position first and foremost.

Regardless of where he is on the field as a rookie, it is clear Hunter is set to make an instant impact for the Jaguars.

"First and foremost, we mentioned the idea that, a trademark of this leadership group, when there’s an opportunity to be bold, we’re not going to flinch. I think this is a reflection of that. In the same lens, you’ve heard us mention the idea of adding people who are intangibly rich, and Travis, in fact, as a player, is rare. As a person, he's also rare," Jaguars general manager James Gladstone said after selecting Hunter.

"Beyond that, when we say that the idea of inviting people into our ecosystem who by being nothing more than who they are elevate the space, is the epitome of what Travis is. We're not going to ask him to be any more than him because by doing so, he elevates not only this football team, not only this city, but the sport itself, right? Along the way you can count however many drafts you want to, there are players who have the capacity to alter a game. There are players who have the capacity to alter the trajectory of a team. There are very few players who have the capacity to alter the trajectory of the sport itself. Travis, while he has a lot to still earn, in our eyes, has the potential to do just that."

The Jaguars felt comfortable making the deal with the Cleveland Browns because of the type of player they think Hunter is. Time will tell just how right they are, but they are not the only big fans of Hunter by any measure.

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