The Jacksonville Jaguars made the biggest splash of the 2025 NFL Draft. They traded up with the Cleveland Browns in order to snag Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. The move wasn’t cheap. They had to give up a couple of picks this year, including a second-round pick, and next year’s first. That is a steep price to pay for a player, but the Jaguars believe Hunter is worth it. Now that teams have had a few days to digest the draft, reports from NFL insiders reveal many teams believe Jacksonville overpaid to get Hunter.
Jacksonville Jaguars Overpaid To Get Travis Hunter?
???? @MoveTheSticks #DUUUVAL shook up the #NFLDraft almost immediately last week, so what is the general consensus on Travis Hunter playing both ways in 2025?#NFL pic.twitter.com/cSy8mYrDAb
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) April 29, 2025
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah is the insider reporting that many people in the league believe the Jacksonville Jaguars overpaid. Travis Hunter is a one-of-a-kind player. He has been adamant that his two-way abilities will continue in the NFL, something the Jaguars talked about in the press conference after the first round. Their plan is to play him on both sides of the ball in some capacity. The league loved Hunter, but Jeremiah revealed that it doesn’t change the opinion on the overpay.
“They all love him as a player, love Hunter as a player, but thought that was a haul that you’d have a hard time turning down. They thought Jacksonville overpaid. That’s inside the league, that was the opinion.”
The Jaguars were able to recoup some future draft capital on day two in a trade with the Detroit Lions, but giving up a first-round pick is always a steep price.
What’s The Reasoning?
Jeremiah reports that the reasoning teams feel this way is because there is doubt that Travis Hunter will be able to play both sides of the ball in the NFL. It is one thing to play both sides of the ball in college, but it is another to play both sides in the NFL.
“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. There is not a belief he’ll be able to do that.”
It will be interesting to see how much the Jacksonville Jaguars use him on offense. They already have Brian Thomas Jr., but Hunter could provide another weapon on offense. With Trevor Lawrence hopefully back healthy, this offense could be one of the more dangerous ones in the AFC.
Final Thoughts
As with any draft day trade, only time will tell whether the Jacksonville Jaguars made the right choice. If Hunter does become an elite two-way player, this will be well worth it.
