Gladstone said the move not only reflected the boldness he, Coen and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli have emphasized since taking over as the franchise’s football decision-makers earlier this offseason, it also stayed true to his philosophy of bringing “intangibly rich” players into the franchise’s “ecosystem.”

“Travis, in fact, as a player is rare,” Gladstone said. “As a person, he’s also rare. When we say that the idea of inviting people into our ecosystem, who by being nothing more than who they are, elevate the space … that’s the epitome of what Travis is. 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.”

Gladstone added, “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. Travis, while he has a lot to still earn, in our eyes has the potential to do just that.”

Coen also detailed the unique skills that allowed Hunter in 2024 to become the first player to win both Chuck Bednarik Award for college football’s best defensive player and the Fred Biletnikoff Award for college football’s best wide receiver.

“On both sides of the ball, he impacts the game,” Coen said. “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 continue 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.”

The Jaguars in addition to the No. 5 selection traded to the Browns No. 36 (Round 2) and No. 126 (Round 4) selections in ’25 – and their first-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Jaguars received the Nos. 104 (Round 4) and 200 (Round 6) selections in ’25.