Jaguars traded a ton to get Travis Hunter, and limiting him to CB limits his ceiling

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ trade with the Cleveland Browns during the 2025 NFL Draft was shocking. The consensus was that the Jaguars overpaid to move up from No. 5 overall to No. 2.

But the Jaguars viewed the trade in a way that changed the value. Colorado’s Travis Hunter played offense and defense in college, and the Jaguars felt he could do the same for them.

"We know he's going to be able to do both," Jaguars coach Liam Coen said, via the team’s site. "We feel that in our bones.

"We want it to look like what it looked like at Colorado, and that would be pretty good for us."

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The Jaguars gave up a first-, second- and fourth-round pick last year and a first-round pick this year to move up and take Hunter. The Jaguars also got a fourth- and sixth-round pick back. That was a lot to trade but Jacksonville didn’t mind. Jaguars executive vice president of football operations Tony Boselli told The Athletic after the draft that, “In our mind, we got two second overall picks this year.”

Now, it looks like the Jaguars got just a cornerback.

NFL Media reported that Hunter is expected to be a full-time cornerback and part-time receiver. We’ll see how that plays out — Hunter himself seemed a bit skeptical about the news — but if the Jaguars plan to use Hunter on defense with occasional cameos on offense, all of a sudden the trade doesn’t look so good.

Travis Hunter had a quiet rookie season

There are many paths for the Hunter trade to look great by the end of his time with the Jaguars.

Hunter could be one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, and nobody would complain about overpaying for that. He could still be a two-way player and make an impact on both sides. If Hunter was an All-Pro at cornerback and still contributing on offense it would be unique.

Travis Hunter might not see as much time on offense in his second season. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)

(Mike Carlson via Getty Images)

Hunter had eight catches for 101 yards and a touchdown in his final game before a knee injury ended his season. He has the ability to be a great player on both sides, just like he was when he won the Heisman Trophy. Hunter has played only seven NFL games. We don’t know what his ceiling is as an NFL player or what his future holds.

But limiting Hunter mostly to one side of the ball means he has to hit his peak outcome to be worth the pick, much less the trade that led to the pick. No cornerback in NFL history has gone in the top two of the draft other than Hunter.

Assuming that the report comes to pass and Hunter is limited as a receiver, the Jaguars didn’t actually have “two second overall picks” last year. That changes the math.

Hunter’s role might change

There was skepticism about Hunter playing both ways last summer. The history of two-way players in the modern NFL is very thin, and those who have done it have done so on a limited basis. The Jaguars tried, saw Hunter not play to his peak on offense or defense, and then suffer a season-ending injury, and it seems like they have some skepticism too. Though Jacksonville is much deeper at receiver than cornerback, and that plays into the decision as well.

The Jaguars spent less in free agency and signed fewer free agents this offseason than any other team (Jacksonville signed four players; no other team signed fewer than 10 according to Spotrac). And now they don’t have a first-round pick due to the Hunter trade last season, removing an opportunity to add an impact player from that avenue. The Hunter trade was costly.

When Hunter won the Heisman for Colorado, he wouldn’t have won it as a cornerback and he wouldn’t have won it as a receiver. He won it because he was a transcendent, historic two-way player. That’s what Jacksonville saw and that’s why they paid heavily to get him. If that experiment is mostly over already, it will be hard for the Jaguars to get the return on investment that they hoped for.