But contrary to the fan perspective on Jacksonville trading up from the fifth to second overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft to select Colorado wide receiver\/defensive back Travis Hunter<\/a>, coaches and front-office members across the league consistently panned the trade.<\/p>\n Draft app promo<\/p>\n Sources from seven different teams preferred the Cleveland Browns<\/a>\u2019 outcome, they told Yahoo Sports. The Browns drafted Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham<\/a> fifth overall while adding a high 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 first-round pick, in addition to swapping picks 104 and 200 for 126.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n The league respects Hunter\u2019s skill set and character, expecting a successful career from him. But coaches and executives questioned the cost Jacksonville paid.<\/p>\n One NFC assistant considered what it would take for the Jaguars to prove the lost draft capital was worth jumping three spots.<\/p>\n \u201cMake Trevor [Lawrence]<\/a> legit,\u201d the assistant texted. \u201cIf that happens it was worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n Otherwise?<\/p>\n \u201cJax got hosed. Unless he\u2019s a hall of famer.\u201d<\/p>\n So how did this shocking trade happen?<\/p>\n Colorado wide receiver Travis Hunter puts on Jaguars cap, not a Browns one that many expected. (AP Photo\/Jeff Roberson)<\/p>\n (ASSOCIATED PRESS)Travis Hunter meant more to Jaguars than he did to Browns<\/p>\n The Jaguars and Browns worked through this trade for \u201cthe better part of two weeks,\u201d Jacksonville general manager James Gladstone said in a news conference late Thursday night.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Both sides were intimately familiar with the cost of surrendering first-round picks.<\/p>\n Cleveland dealt a haul that included three first-round selections for quarterback Deshaun Watson<\/a> in 2022, a move that team ownership recently characterized as \u201ca swing and a miss.\u201d Gladstone grew up in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams<\/a>, who famously won a Super Bowl with general manager Les Snead\u2019s aggressive strategy that has become affectionately known as \u201cf*** them picks.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve probably got some familiarity with the f***-them-picks sort of process,\u201d Gladstone said. \u201cSo for our fans, I\u2019ll tell you: Don\u2019t be scared. This is something I\u2019m uniquely positioned to navigate. We ended up bringing Travis Hunter to Jacksonville.\u201d<\/p>\n The Jaguars prioritized acquiring the generational two-way player because they believe he will elevate the club on and off the field, with first-round-worthy traits at both receiver and cornerback.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Catch passes and exploit zones in the defense as a sly receiver? Head coach Liam Coen and Gladstone expect that from their new Jaguar. Find the ball and swipe it from opponents\u2019 possession? Club brass expect to see that, too.<\/p>\n The Jaguars charted a vision in concert with coaches, personnel evaluators, athletic trainers, sports scientists and equipment staff. That vision could change.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll have a plan right now of [him] primarily on offense with learning the defensive system and practicing on the defensive side of the ball as well throughout this offseason program,\u201d Coen said. \u201cAs we continue to grow, we have to be fluid throughout this whole process.\u201d<\/p>\n Coen and Gladstone know that line one needs to be elevating 2021 No. 1 overall pick Lawrence from the good player he\u2019s been to the generational player many thought he would become. They\u2019re banking on generational player plus generational player equaling generational team performance.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a plan in place,\u201d Coen said, \u201cand that\u2019s really where we\u2019ll start.\u201d<\/p>\n The Browns, meanwhile, needed significant capital to restock a roster still hurting from the picks they lost in the Watson trade that didn\u2019t pay off.<\/p>\n General manager Andrew Berry\u2019s goal with the second overall pick was \u201cto make the maximum impact on the team.\u201d (For those wondering whether Hunter would have been his choice at two, Berry quipped: \u201cThat\u2019s going to have to go to my grave.\u201d)<\/p>\n Graham excels as an interior rusher who can play the inline run game and stretch zones, one NFC executive told Yahoo Sports. He\u2019s \u201ca great fit for the \u2018attack\u2019 front at three tech[nique],\u201d another AFC assistant said.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n The Browns and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz value attacking defensive linemen who \u201cuse movement, quickness, power to really re-establish the line of scrimmage, get upfield and ultimately rush the passer,\u201d Berry said. Cleveland expects Graham will disrupt quarterbacks with his knack for penetration.<\/p>\n \u201cTo move down three spots, still get a top-notch prospect in the trenches, adding a pick in what we view is the sweet spot for this year\u2019s draft class, and adding a first-round pick next year in a class that quite frankly we think will be stronger in the first 30 picks?\u201d Berry said. \u201cBoth in the short term and over a multi-year time horizon, it was a fit for what we wanted to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Could Jaguars and Browns both eventually win? For now, Hunter benefits most<\/p>\n In the long run, there may not have\u00a0to be a loser in this trade.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n The Jaguars took a bold trade that league decision-makers question. It could still pay off.<\/p>\n The Browns opted for a less sexy first round than many anticipated. They, too, could be better off for it.<\/p>\n Cleveland understood the reality of its roster and team lifecycle, knowing winning in 2025 is not actually the most important thing right now. Rebuilding a team that has faltered comes first. A defensive line with Graham alongside star edge rusher Myles Garrett<\/a> concerns AFC North opponents and more. There\u2019s patience to their strategy that contrasts the approach of the New York Giants<\/a>, who selected Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter third overall<\/a> before doubling back to No. 25 to take Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Draft](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/531df330-1cb7-11f0-bd7f-d4e97550cb24.jpeg\"\/)
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Colorado](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/75504380-219a-11f0-9df9-86a2903c10ab.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n