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Jacksonville Jaguars believe Travis Hunter could 'alter the trajectory' of entire sport
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- Jacksonville Jaguars believe Travis Hunter could 'alter the trajectory' of entire sport
The Jacksonville Jaguars and general manager James Gladstone didn't flinch Thursday night when presented with a blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Browns , ultimately landing cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter .
The Jaguars gave up a haul, including this year's first-round pick (No. 5 overall) , second-round pick (No. 36), fourth-round pick (No. 126) and their 2026 first-round pick for the opportunity to select a player Gladstone called "rare" moments after making the selection.
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"First and foremost, you mentioned the idea that a trademark of this leadership group, when there's an opportunity to be bold, we're not going to flinch. I think this is a reflection of that. In the same lens, you've heard us mention the idea of adding people who are intangibly rich and Travis, in fact, as a player is rare, but as a person, he's also rare and beyond that," Gladstone said when asked why Hunter was worthy of giving up a haul of that nature.
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"When we say that the idea of inviting people into our ecosystem who by being nothing more than who they are, elevate the space is the epitome of what Travis is, and we're not going to ask him to be any more than him because by doing so, he elevates not only this football team, not only this city, but the sport itself."
Hunter's ability to transcend the sport of football is something Gladstone wanted to emphasize. He's different.
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"There are players who have the capacity to alter a game. There are players who have the capacity to alter the trajectory of a team. There are very few players who have the capacity to alter the trajectory of the sport itself," Gladstone said with a serious face.
"Travis, while he has a lot to still earn in our eyes, has the potential to do just that."
Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen spoke about the team selecting Hunter and what went into making the deal with Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry.
Gladstone says deal with Browns came together over last two weeks
"I don't know if I had any real expectation for what that was going to look like when we started to engage. It's been something that [Browns General Manager] Andrew Berry and I have been working through for the better part of two weeks. Got to give him a shoutout because he made it a seamless process. Certainly kept open lines of communication for that duration and as I think back to where we initially started with it and where we ended, it certainly included some back and forth, but along the way, there was a pretty good pulse for what the end was going to look like and really what executing that once they were on the clock would sort of shape out to be. The fact that it came to life as seamlessly as it did once the bell rang is something that was fulfilling."
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Coen talks how team plans to use Travis Hunter
"It's a little bit more than a 'we'll see,' but we do have to be fluid throughout, right? We'll have a plan right now of primarily on offense with learning the defensive system and practicing on the defensive side of the ball as well throughout this offseason program. As we continue to grow, we have to be fluid throughout this whole process. We've had multiple conversations at length with athletic training, equipment, sports science, coaching, everybody involved about this process and what it's going to look like moving forward. We have a plan in place, and that's really where we'll start."
Coen explains what makes Travis Hunter special
"On both sides of the ball, he impacts the game. He has a great feel for the game itself. When he's on the offensive side of the ball, finding zones in the defense. He's got really good ball skills. He can do something with it after the catch. Then on the defensive side of the ball, he finds it, and that's ultimately what we're trying to do here is continuing to find people that can help us get our hands on the ball on the defensive side and go impact the game in that way."
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Gladstone on moving a future first-round pick for Travis Hunter
"We ended up bringing Travis Hunter to Jacksonville, and with that, he is somebody who is deserving of a first-round draft pick as a wide receiver, and he is worthy of a first-round draft pick as a corner. Certainly, look forward to each of those elements showing themselves over the next few years while he is under his rookie contract, but yeah, we're excited about just getting him in the boat, so to speak."
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Coen on what pairing Travis Hunter with Brian Thomas Jr. will do for the offense
"I think just adds another layer for the defense, for them to have to defend against or not maybe be able to double-team one side of the field or lean a safety which way. Man, B.T., working with him over the last few days was really impressive, really impressive. Yeah, freak. That was exciting. To be able to have this opportunity now to continue to add to that room because that room this week, I thought did a great job, all the guys. Dyami [WR Dyami Brown ], Parker [WR Parker Washington ]. All those guys that were out there competing did a great job and this just only adds to the competitiveness in that room, as well as to the team because it's going to be multiple positions here. Yeah, that was pretty cool."
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Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars: Travis Hunter worth giving up 2026 1st-round pick
