Travis Hunter Will Make or Break the Jaguars' Draft Class

James Gladstone and the Jacksonville Jaguars paid a pretty penny for the right to move up in the NFL Draft and select Travis Hunter. They hope it was worth it.

The Jacksonville Jaguars first-round pick, Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver and defensive back Travis Hunter answers questions during a press conference Friday, March 25, 2025 at Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] / Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars made arguably the boldest move of any team in the NFL Draft to select the best athlete in the draft, Travis Hunter. Jacksonville's roster lacks talent across the board and while they have many other needs, Hunter has the potential to help spark their turnaround.

Hunter was the Jaguars' first pick of the night, but his selection was only the beginning. Jacksonville traded its second—and fourth-round picks in this year's draft and next year's first-round pick to the Cleveland Browns to move up to the No.2 pick in the draft and select Hunter.

While Hunter is undeniably talented, the many picks the Jaguars gave up for him are unquestionably a lot. Jaguars general manager James Gladstone started his tenure with the Jaguars off with the kind of trade that can make or break a GM's future.

Rob Rang of FOX Sports analyzed and graded every team in the league's draft haul. He believes the Jaguars may have given up too much for Hunter. As talented as Hunter is, and even though he plays on both sides of the ball, he is only one player on a roster that needs much more talent

"Look, I'm as high on Travis Hunter as anyone. I've long been referring to him as the top prospect in this class and a generational talent since his first game at Colorado. And I love the pairing of Hunter with Brian Thomas Jr. and, of course, both Liam Coen and Trevor Lawrence. But Hunter had better be prepared to play two positions full time to justify Jacksonville's borderline reckless trade of its 2026 first-round selection to move up three spots to get him. Anything less than immediate superstardom for Hunter and the Jags will look foolish," Rang said.

"The long wait to pick again — Jacksonville went 86 selections before being back on the clock — only reinforces how important the Jaguars made him to their class. I like the addition of gritty corner Caleb Ransaw and dependable blocker Wyatt Milum in the third round, as well as the big-play potential offered by Day 3 running backs Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen."

Still, Rang gave the Jaguars a B- on their draft haul, which is a pretty good start for a team that has been an NFL cellar dweller for most of the past few seasons.

Follow on X (Twitter) @JaguarsOnSI and @_John_Shipley and tell us how you feel about this draft!

Tell us your thoughts on the Jaguars' new direction when you like our Facebook page, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.

feed