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Why Jacksonville Jaguars should pick Travis Hunter, trade up for Heisman winner in NFL Draft
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- Why Jacksonville Jaguars should pick Travis Hunter, trade up for Heisman winner in NFL Draft
The Jacksonville Jaguars are set to host their annual pre-draft luncheon Tuesday.
It'll be the first of many times first-year head coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone will conduct a joint press conference together.
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The pairing has moved in lockstep behind the scenes, as highlighted by the latest episode of The Hunt — the Jaguars ' in-house docuseries that pulls the curtain back on all things pertaining to the team.
But Tuesday will provide the first instance for the new leadership to provide answers simultaneously to media on their positioning and where they stand ahead of next week's draft.
2025 NFL Draft: Jacksonville Jaguars three-round mock draft includes trade down for top offensive talent
The Jaguars currently sit at No. 5 overall and have 10 total picks to select over the three-day process. Several players have been mocked to join the team as first-round selections like Michigan's Mason Graham and Boise State's Ashton Jeanty .
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Another player who's been mocked to the Jaguars but is a longer shot to land with the team is 2024 Heisman winner Travis Hunter . Hunter is a projected top five pick and would without question be the selection if the Jaguars were on the clock and he's available.
Why leave it to chance, though? The Jaguars should push their chips to the middle and zero-in on Hunter as their 2025 first-round draft pick.
Travis Hunter has a skillset that matches the needs of the Jaguars
Pick 2- Cleveland Browns - Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado
Hunter showcased his skills as an elite player on both sides of the ball last season . The playmaker recorded 96 catches for 1,258 yards with 15 receiving touchdowns on offense for Colorado during his junior year.
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He also logged 35 total tackles, 11 pass deflections and four interceptions as a cornerback for the Buffaloes last season.
It just so happens that the Jaguars could use a boost at both positions.
MORE ON TRAVIS HUNTER: Heisman favorite Travis Hunter's family is sports royalty in hometown of Boynton Beach
The team released veteran cornerback Ronald Darby earlier this offseason, leaving a vacancy at the boundary cornerback position opposite Tyson Campbell . They brought in nickel cornerback Jourdan Lewis through free agency and have second-year defensive back Jarrian Jones who mostly played inside last season.
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The rest of their defensive back room includes fourth-year cornerback Buster Brown and second-year defensive back De'Antre Prince . As it stands, an early-round rookie will likely become the starter opposite from Campbell and that player should be Hunter.
Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes cornerback Travis Hunter (12) following an interception in the first quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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The Jaguars might have a bit more optimism with their current situation at receiver. The team traded wide receiver Christian Kirk and released pass catcher Evan Engram earlier in the offseason. They have immediate replacements for those players already on their roster, though.
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Third-year tight end Brenton Strange is projected to have a larger role on offense with Parker Washington likely seeing an increase as well. They brought in wide receiver Dyami Brown with tight ends Johnny Mundt and Hunter Long through free agency.
Gabe Davis is still on the team and recovering from a MCL injury that ended his season last year. Then there's standout pass catcher Brian Thomas Jr.
Thomas rewrote the franchise record books as a rookie last season. He set new marks in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns for a first-year player.
But for a second, imagine a wide receiver room with the dual-dynamic playmaking ability of Thomas and Hunter. Even if Hunter wasn't fully deployed on offense, it'd give defensive coordinators a headache having to plan for designed plays or packages featuring Hunter.
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And that's in addition to the threat Thomas has with his talent to line up anywhere on the field.
There's precedent trading into the top 5 but how much is too much?
Oct 26, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) reacts after touchdown reception in the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Hunter is a generational talent.
Even if his skillset offensively doesn't translate to the NFL — which it can be argued it will — he's displayed enough reason to make the move as a defender.
It's not just his coverage ability, Hunter has the football IQ needed to survive at the professional level.
In Colorado's 38-31 overtime victory against Baylor, Hunter made the game-winning play. After the Buffaloes took a lead against the Bears, Baylor was primed to even the game with a short rushing touchdown.
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Hunter was the only person standing between the end zone and Baylor scoring. Instead of opting for a regular tackle, he positioned himself to jar the ball free from Baylor's running back and forced a fumble.
The ball bounced out of the back of the end zone and gave Colorado a win due to his heads-up play. He's the type of player that can literally win a team a game.
Hunter's tape is littered with game-changing plays and Jacksonville is in need of another game-changing player. The Jaguars should package some of their picks to move up and secure Hunter.
It appears the Tennessee Titans are aligning themselves to select Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick.
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The Jaguars should make exploratory calls to the Cleveland Browns about potentially jumping to No. 2 overall to select Hunter. The Browns are a team with a lot of needs, the Jaguars are a team with a lot of picks. It could be the perfect merger.
Dec 14, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter after winning the 2024 Heisman Trophy. Mandatory Credit: Todd Van Emst/Heisman Trust via Imagn Images
The Houston Texans made a similarly aggressive move in 2023. After selecting CJ Stroud with the No. 2 overall pick, the Texans leaped to No. 3 to select pass rusher Will Anderson.
The Texans traded picks No. 12 and No. 33 in the 2023 draft along with a first and third rounder in the 2024 draft to the Arizona Cardinals . They received the third overall pick and No. 105 overall pick in 2023 in return.
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The Jaguars currently have 20 picks in the next two NFL drafts. Would a similar trade be too much for a player who could change the trajectory of the team?
That's not an exaggeration, either. Houston won the AFC South and made the playoffs in back-to-back years after making that move two years ago.
Gladstone, Coen should be bold in their approach and acquire Travis Hunter
Jacksonville Jaguars General Manager James Gladstone, left, laughs with Head Coach Liam Coen, center, as explained what he was bringing to the table during a press conference Monday morning February 24, 2025 at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. as Head Coach Liam Coen, right, listened as Jacksonville Jaguars Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli cracked a joke during a press conference introducing Gladstone. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]2025
The Jaguars released a short video to their social media that encapsulates the team's approach since installing new leadership. In the clip, Executive Vice President Tony Boselli was talking with Gladstone about an article that came out.
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He said they were referencing the age of Gladstone, and the author implied that owner Shad Khan was taking a big risk by hiring him.
Gladstone interjected to say, "One of the trademarks of our leadership group is when there's an opportunity to be bold, we won't flinch."
That was true through free agency as the team moved on from several players who'd become staples with the Jaguars.
They stayed away from big names or relatively large splashes and signed players who raised the floor of the roster. In the process they took the handcuffs off themselves as they head into the draft.
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The truth of the matter is whoever the team selects will add value to what they are trying to do.
Whether that's opting for someone on offense that'll help protect Trevor Lawrence or adding another weapon for him to utilize.
Or if it's adding someone to their defensive line that already features one of the best pass rush pairings in the league. Or someone to help the secondary that struggled last season.
Hunter provides the chance to cross multiple boxes off that list. And this is another opportunity for the Jaguars to be bold.
So why flinch?
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars should trade up for Travis Hunter in NFL Draft
