Jacksonville Jaguars

As excited as Deion Sanders is for Travis Hunter to be heading to the Jacksonville Jaguars from a football standpoint, he's also excited for the former Colorado star for an off-the-field reason.

The Buffaloes' head coach congratulated Hunter on being selected second overall in the NFL Draft by the Jaguars and told him he'll be able to continue his hobby of fishing in Jacksonville.

"Congratulations, sir," Sanders said (1:15 mark). "I can come down there, they got some good fishing there. Really good fishing."

Sanders also gave Hunter a warning, letting him know that "gators there are prevalent."

Hunter's calling is clearly football, but the two-way star is an avid angler as well. When he's not on the field or practicing, Hunter is often on the lake reeling in largemouth bass and whatever else ends up on his line. He's documented some of his fishing adventures on his YouTube channel.

Hunter was asked on SportsCenter in December if he plays on offense or defense in his dreams, and he said he's not on the football field at all.

“When I dream at night, I’m fishing on a boat," Hunter said.

As much as Hunter enjoys fishing, he'll have to keep his focus mostly on football for the foreseeable future. The Jaguars, who originally had the No. 5 pick in the draft, traded that pick along with two other picks in 2025 and a 2026 first-rounder to the Cleveland Browns in order to pick Hunter at No. 2.

Hunter, who was the No. 1 player on the final big board from Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department, brings a unique skill set to the NFL as someone who thrives on both sides of the ball. In his final season at Colorado, Hunter hauled in 1,258 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns along with 35 tackles, 11 passes defended and four interceptions on defense.

While it's unclear whether he'll see as many snaps in the NFL as he did in college, Hunter will likely thrive doing whatever he is assigned in Jacksonville.

Amid all of the excitement about Travis Hunter's ability to play on both sides of the ball as he prepares for his rookie season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, people within the league want to see how long the team sticks with it if he gets injured.

One executive told The Athletic's Mike Sando they expect the Jaguars will end the two-way experiment with Hunter "as soon as he gets one injury" that keeps him out for multiple weeks.

"I can’t name a dual-threat guy who played both ways at the level they are drafting him at," the exec said. "Deion Sanders? Rod Woodson? They all settled into whatever their position is. As soon as he gets one injury and is out for three weeks, he is going to one side of the ball."

Deion Sanders was never really a full-time two-way player in the NFL. The one time he got regular reps at wide receiver was in 1996. He recorded 36 receptions, 475 yards and one touchdown.

That one season accounted for more than half of his total career receptions (60) and receiving yards (784). He never had another season with more than 10 catches of 106 receiving yards.

First-year Jaguars general manager James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen made a big bet on Hunter. They traded the No. 5, No. 36 and No. 126 picks this year, plus a 2026 first-rounder to Cleveland for pick Nos. 2, 104 and 200.

Coen told reporters after drafting Hunter that he will primarily play offense to start, while getting acclimated to the defense.

Q: What is your vision for Travis Hunter? Do you see him playing more on offense?

Liam Coen: "We’ll have a plan right now of [him playing] primarily on offense, with him learning the defensive system and practicing on the defensive side of the ball as well throughout this… pic.twitter.com/juYRrsGXLc

— Scott Barrett (@ScottBarrettDFB) April 25, 2025

One of the main concerns about Hunter playing both ways in the NFL is related to his size at 6'0" and 188 pounds. That puts him in the 36th percentile in height and 20th percentile in weight among wide receivers.

The measurables are a little more favorable to Hunter at cornerback, at least by height where he ranks in the 56th percentile. His weight is in the 19th percentile at the position.

When you combine those measurements with the difference in playing against Big 12 players and NFL players, there is a physical toll that Hunter's body will take unlike anything he's dealt with thus far.

This is why the Jaguars' plan has to prioritize making Hunter the best version of himself at whatever his primary position is going to be, then ease him into the other spot to see if he can handle both the physical and mental grind of playing two ways.

Despite three consecutive seasons with at least 100 combined tackles, Devin Lloyd will not have the fifth-year option in his rookie contract picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Jaguars will decline Lloyd's 2026 option is being declined.

The fifth-year option for Lloyd would have cost the Jaguars $14.8 million in 2026.

Lloyd was one of two first-round selections by the Jaguars in the 2022 draft. They also selected Travon Walker with the No. 1 overall pick. Walker had his fifth-year option picked up on April 7.

The Jaguars' entire philosophy toward roster-building has changed this offseason. They replaced head coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke with Liam Coen and James Gladstone, respectively.

Jacksonville's change at head coach also means a new defensive coordinator is coming in. Anthony Campanile, who previously served as linebackers coach for the Green Bay Packers, will run the defense.

Campanile has been vague about the specific type of scheme he wants to run, telling reporters in February they want to be multiple and will deploy elements of the 4-3 "with some 3-4 spacing."

Lloyd, the No. 27 overall pick, is coming off the best season of his career. He was used at the line of scrimmage more frequently, allowing him to record seven tackles for loss, five quarterback hits and two sacks in 16 starts.

He had a total of three quarterback hits, two tackles for loss and zero sacks in his first two seasons combined.

If Lloyd proves to be a fit in Campanile's system, he will be able to cash in either with a new deal from the Jaguars or another club as a free agent next offseason.

Travis Hunter made a name for himself playing both wide receiver and cornerback at the collegiate level, but he might not have as much responsibility in the NFL.

Per NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah, teams aren't expecting Hunter to play "every snap" on both offense and defense.

"I have not talked to one person—not one—that believes that Travis Hunter will be able to play every snap on offense and defense at the pro level like he did at the college level," Jeremiah said on The Rich Eisen Show (1:20 mark). "There is not a belief that he will be able to do that... He's going to major on offense and sprinkle in on defense."

While Hunter didn't play every single snap on offense and defense at Colorado, he was on both sides of the ball for most of the game. According to Colorado's website, he logged 2,625 snaps across the 2023 and 2024 seasons despite missing nearly five games.

What's more, he was extremely productive on both sides of the ball. In his final season with the Buffs, he recorded 1,258 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns while adding 35 tackles, 11 passes defended and four interceptions on defense.

Heading into the draft, he said he was "never playing football again" if he was limited to just one side of the ball.

While it seems like he won't be limited to just offense or defense, it's a bit unrealistic to think Hunter will play as much in the NFL as he did in college.

Shedeur Sanders may not have been drafted on Thursday night, but he still had reason to cheer during the early stages of the evening.

In a draft night video shared by Well Off Media, 2025 NFL Draft prospects Shedeur Sanders and Shilo Sanders were shown celebrating Hunter's selection to the Jacksonville Jaguars with the second overall pick.

The brothers noted how excited Hunter looked and remarked that they were "so proud of Trav."

Hunter was rated as the No. 1 overall player in the draft class by Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department. He was the first non-quarterback selected in the draft and the Jaguars paid significant draft capital to move up and grab him in deal with the Cleveland Browns.

Full breakdown of the deal. pic.twitter.com/T8Umn7OZ9m

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) April 25, 2025

While Hunter's night was one he likely dreamed of, the same fate wasn't awarded to Shedeur Sanders. He was not selected in the opening round, despite being ranked as the No. 23 overall player and the No. 2 quarterback in the class by Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department.

Many teams, including the New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers, chose to fill other needs instead of quarterback in the opening round while the Tennessee Titans (Cam Ward) and New York Giants (Jaxson Dart) opted for other signal-callers with their selections on Thursday.

Sanders will likely hear his name called early on Friday night, with the Browns being one potential landing spot with the No. 33 pick.

The second round of the NFL Draft will begin at 7 p.m. ET.

The Jacksonville Jaguars intend to have first-round pick Travis Hunter focus on offense during his initial transition to the NFL.

Following the first round Thursday night, Jaguars head coach Liam Coen told reporters he wants to use Hunter "primarily on offense" while having the rookie get familiar with the defensive scheme:

Q: What is your vision for Travis Hunter? Do you see him playing more on offense?

Liam Coen: "We’ll have a plan right now of [him playing] primarily on offense, with him learning the defensive system and practicing on the defensive side of the ball as well throughout this… pic.twitter.com/juYRrsGXLc

— Scott Barrett (@ScottBarrettDFB) April 25, 2025

Jacksonville traded up in order to land the Heisman Trophy winner, sending the No. 5, 36 and 126 picks this year along with a 2026 first-rounder to the Cleveland Browns. Having paid that kind of price, it stands to reason the franchise will be creative with the Colorado product.

The Athletic's Michael Silver wrote the team "viewed Hunter as a two-way prospect" throughout the predraft process. The Jags hope to install "a package of plays featuring him as a cornerback" and that he can see his workload increase on defense if the experiment is working.

Getting quarterback Trevor Lawrence back on track is one of Coen's biggest objectives. The 2022 Pro Bowler has watched his development stall, and his 204.5 passing yards per game last year were a career low.

From that standpoint, putting Hunter at receiver makes sense. He caught 153 passes for 1,979 yards and 20 touchdowns in his two years at Colorado. The Jaguars made a massive addition to their passing game.

However, The Ringer's Todd McShay expressed some skepticism in February that the 21-year-old could evolve into a two-way player if he started as a wideout.

"I think he's a more advanced receiver and better receiver than he is a corner," he told The MMQB's Albert Breer. "But I don't see a scenario where he's a full-time receiver that you're working in packages as a corner. I think it's the reverse. I think he's rare. You have to have a plan. My plan would very likely be let's develop him as a corner and put in installs every week where we utilize him at wide receiver."

It would be a little disappointing if Hunter wound up being just a traditional receiver or corner given how special he was in college. If he emerges as an elite talent at one position, then that would still be enough to justify Jacksonville's aggressive play Thursday night.

Travis Hunter had a feeling he was heading to Jacksonville before he heard his name called on Thursday.

The two-way superstar, selected by the Jaguars after they traded up from No. 5 to No. 2, said he was looking at houses in Jacksonville online the night before the draft.

"I was super surprised, even though I went on Zillow last night and searched up some houses in Jacksonville," he said. "...I just had a feeling Jacksonville was going to try to come get me."

Travis Hunter spent last night looking at houses.. in Jacksonville.. on Zillow.

Interview from backstage with his @PaniniAmerica family tomorrow on @UpAndAdamsShow . What?! pic.twitter.com/ZXwj4SEsC0

— Kay Adams (@heykayadams) April 25, 2025

Heading into draft night, it seemed like the Cleveland Browns were going to stay put at No. 2 and take Hunter. Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz reported earlier on Thursday that the Browns were long shots to trade down, but Jacksonville made an offer Cleveland was willing to accept.

That offer was for the Jaguars' No. 5 pick, a second-round pick (No. 36), a fourth-round pick (No. 126) and a 2026 first-round pick. Hunter called Jacksonville's move to trade up "the best decision."

It was a sizable haul for Hunter, but it's not often a player of his caliber comes along. In his final season with Colorado, Hunter hauled in 96 receptions, 1,258 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. On the defensive side, he had 35 tackles, 11 passes defended and four interceptions.

The Heisman Trophy winner was the No. 1 player on the final big board from Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department.

In Jacksonville, Hunter will pair well with second-year receiver Brian Thomas Jr. on offense and look to be a steady presence in the Jaguars secondary on defense. It's unclear what his two-way role will look like in the NFL, but his collegiate game should translate well at the next level.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have selected Colorado two-way superstar and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter with the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

JAGUARS TAKE WR/CB TRAVIS HUNTER WITH THE NO. 2 PICK 🔥🔒

Jacksonville gets a two-way star in Colorado’s Heisman winner

(via @AlbertBreer) pic.twitter.com/SxaJcBsFEE

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 25, 2025

Jagaurs make the splash they've been talking about 😈 pic.twitter.com/s4kErEnj7f

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) April 25, 2025

Jags trade up and draft a unicorn 😱

Travis Hunter is headed to Duvallll

(via @Schultz_Report) pic.twitter.com/rAA6sp8SAj

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) April 25, 2025

The Jags made the move after making a massive deal with the Cleveland Browns, who were initially choosing at No. 2 overall. ESPN's Adam Schefter provided the details.

ESPN Sources:

🏈Browns are trading the No. 2 overall pick, a fourth-round pick (No. 104), and a sixth-round pick (No. 200) to the Jaguars.

🏈Jaguars are trading the No. 5 overall pick, a second-round pick (No. 36), a fourth-round pick (No. 126) and their 2026 first-round pick… pic.twitter.com/9J3QPHqhhU

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 25, 2025

Hunter is a generational talent, and it's clear that Jacksonville, which is now led by a new regime in general manager James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen, wanted to swing for the fences as they start their reign.

"Yes sir, that's the best decision"
Travis Hunter, to Jags GM James Gladstone, after learning of the trade @TheAthletic

— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) April 25, 2025

Hunter is the top player on the final B/R NFL Scouting Department big board with a grade of 9.2 out of 10.

Here's a snippet of reaction on social media after the draft-shaking move.

I wanted Travis Hunter.
I also LOVE this haul.
BOTH can be true. pic.twitter.com/noXGPquH4H

— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) April 25, 2025

Brian Thomas and Travis Hunterpic.twitter.com/RbPtmtEJMX

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) April 25, 2025

https://twitter.com/keanukarg/status/1915560174737383890

Browns fans realizing they won’t get Travis Hunter in the NFL Draft pic.twitter.com/TGdwsBthzc

— 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯 (@xJahstin) April 25, 2025

TRAVIS HUNTER WON’T BE IN THE AFC NORTH ANYMORE 😭 pic.twitter.com/2skidt29hz

— Kyrie Center (@kyriecenterig) April 25, 2025

BTJ And Travis Hunter In The Same WR Room pic.twitter.com/0f23AIBsGb

— John Baione (@KINGV0NBURNER) April 25, 2025

James Gladstone looking at the Travis Hunter Production metrics: pic.twitter.com/x9CjWUD7wK

— Austen Lane (@A_Train_92) April 25, 2025

Travis Hunter hearing about the trade and realizing he doesn’t have to play for the #Browns #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/Bz8aW0axYx

— Blake Seidler (@SeidEffectGG) April 25, 2025

I understand, from the Browns perspective, the idea of loading up on 2026 picks and preparing to nail the quarterback selection that is inevitable next offseason.

With that said: I would never, ever, ever want to be the team that traded out of the Travis Hunter pick.

— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) April 25, 2025

Travis Hunter is the best two-way player we have ever seen in College Football.

He won the Heisman, Fred Biletnikoff Award, Chuck Bednarik Award, Walter Camp Award, Paul Hornung Award and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year for a reason.

14 TDs and 1,152 yards on offense, 4… pic.twitter.com/TQQX4CYAio

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) April 25, 2025

QB Trevor Lawrence
RB Travis Etienne Jr.
WR Brian Thomas Jr.
WR Travis Hunter
HC Liam Coen

The Jags' offense is about to go CRAZY 📈 pic.twitter.com/Ksnl1mdiOP

— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) April 25, 2025

Hunter caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns (and added a rushing score to boot). He also dominated defensively, amassing 36 Tackles, four interceptions and 11 pass breakups.

Per ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi, Hunter played 86 percent of Colorado's offensive snaps and 83 percent of the defensive snaps last season.

In addition to the Heisman, Hunter also won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation's top defender and the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver.

Unsurprisingly, he also won the Paul Hornung Award as the nation's most versatile player).

Entering the draft, Hunter was most connected to the Browns. As the draft neared, it was abundantly clear that the Tennessee Titans were going to select Miami quarterback Cam Ward, to the point where he repeatedly used the phrase "Titan Up" in his video game stream.

That happened. So the intrigue really started at No. 2.

It seemed as though Cleveland would pick between Hunter and Penn State superstar edge-rusher Abdul Carter. But the consensus moved toward Hunter. Per NFL Mock Draft Database, 95 percent of the mocks they aggregated had Hunter headed to Cleveland. One of them was via Bleacher Report.

However, on draft day, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network dropped an intriguing note on Hunter on the Rich Eisen Show. At that point, Hunter was the presumed second overall pick, but there was some question on where, with the Jacksonville Jaguars (slated to pick fifth) mentioned.

Travis Hunter is the presumed 2nd overall pick tonight and intrigue on who'll be the team selecting him is ramping up just hours from go-time in Green Bay – @RapSheet explains:#NFL #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/1po8uJjOI2

— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) April 24, 2025

"Right now, it's the Browns, and I would say likely probably the Browns," Rapoport began (h/t Cory Kinnan of Browns Wire). "But there is some real interest. There is some interest. I said last night on Insiders about the Jaguars preparing a bold move, and I really wonder, 'are they a team that tries to come up?'"

The trade talk kept buzzing on Thursday evening. Jay Glazer of Fox Sports dropped this bombshell regarding Cleveland and Jacksonville.

Jaguars and Browns trade looks like it could go down and talks are happening but nothing done til done obviously

— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) April 24, 2025

Then Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com added this note.

I don't believe the #Browns would trade away from Travis Hunter unless they get an extra first-rounder in return.

— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) April 25, 2025

In the end, the trade went down, and Jacksonville added a potential superstar in Hunter at No. 2.

Ultimately, this is a sensational pick for Jacksonville, which gets a huge boost on offense and defense. It'll be fascinating to see how the Jags utilize his talents on both sides of the ball. Schefter gave an idea.

Jaguars are expected to play their first-round draft pick Travis Hunter on offense and defense. They will on-board him by giving him a heavy dose of the wide receiver position while still playing him at his more natural position on defense. Two positions for pick No. 2.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 25, 2025

Ultimately, Hunter should bring a much-needed infusion of electricity to the table as Jacksonville hopes to bounce back from a 4-13 season. Adding the Heisman winner is a great start.

The Jacksonville Jaguars could reportedly make a splash ahead of Thursday's NFL Draft.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday that it's "at least in the realm of conversation" that the Jaguars could trade up from No. 5 to No. 2 to take Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter.

From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: More discussion of the #Jaguars potentially making a bold move, one that would shake up the Draft in a major way. pic.twitter.com/iIoGuGEZNI

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 23, 2025

According to Rapoport, "conversations are expected to go on" in the hours leading up to the draft.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero added that "it would be considered unlikely" for Cleveland to trade its No. 2 overall pick, but the Jaguars could still make a sizable offer in hopes of landing a generational talent like Hunter.

If there's a player in this year's draft that's worth giving up a big haul to trade up for, it's Hunter. In his final season with the Buffaloes, Hunter recorded 1,258 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns as a receiver while racking up 35 tackles, 11 passes defended, four interceptions and a forced fumble on the defensive end.

Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department considers Hunter to be the top player in this year's class, higher than stars like Cam Ward, Abdul Carter and more. In the latest mock draft from Bleacher Report's Scouting Department, Hunter is the second player off the board, going to the Browns.

Whether he ends up on the Browns, Jaguars or another team on Thursday remains to be seen, but there's no question that Hunter is one of the most exciting players in recent draft memory.

If he ends up in Jacksonville, Hunter could be a complement to young star receiver Brian Thomas on offense while still making plays for the Jaguars on defense. Having Hunter on the roster would make for a fun first year for new head coach Liam Coen.

But for that to happen, the Jaguars will likely need to put together a significant offer to the Browns.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are reportedly eyeing an offensive addition with their first-round pick in Thursday's NFL draft, but it sounds like there are multiple possibilities.

Draft expert Todd McShay reported in his latest mock draft that the Jaguars are eyeing Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty with the No. 5 pick, but they could target Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan in a trade-back scenario.

"[Jaguars first-year head coach] Liam Coen will all but put his foot down with this pick," McShay explained. "He needs an offensive weapon, and I’m told that it’ll be Jeanty if Jacksonville stays at No. 5. However, they’d entertain an offer to trade back a few spots if they feel confident that Tetairoa McMillan will still be on the board."

A league executive recently told ESPN's Adam Schefter that Jacksonville is "a wild card" in the first round because of the uncertainty surrounding the team's draft strategy. Schefter also noted that Coen "has long had a soft spot for wide receivers in the draft" and could be eyeing McMillan because of his similarities to Tampa Bay Buccaneers star wideout Mike Evans, who Coen coached in 2024 as the team's offensive coordinator.

McShay added that if the Jags decide to trade down, "They’d need to land before [the Dallas Cowboys draft] at No. 12" because that appears to be "the floor for the polarizing 6-foot-4 wideout," who would be a strong addition next to Cowboys star wideout CeeDee Lamb. He noted that the Chicago Bears "might be the most viable option for a potential trade-back at No. 10."

It will be exciting to see how things play out in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday, as the Jags appear to be in a position to shake things up with their selection.