We’ve gathered Day 1 grades and reactions from several national media outlets to provide a fresh perspective on how the Jacksonville Jaguars fared in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
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From Pete Prisco of CBS Sports: A+
This is the move the franchise had to make. Hunter is a star, the best player in this draft. Jacksonville had to be bold now and this is bold. It’s a great move.
From JP Acosta of SB Nation: A
What a moment for first-year GM James Gladstone and HC Liam Coen. They make the big swing that everyone was whispering about and take the best player in this draft class. Hunter can be an instant impact player at receiver and cornerback, where the Jaguars need help the most. The price is steep, but if they win it won’t matter.
From Danny Kelly of The Ringer: A
Normally, I’d dock Jacksonville pretty heavily for giving up a future first-rounder for any non-quarterback, but this is an extraordinary situation given the Heisman winner has a legit chance to be a big-impact player at two positions. Besides, the rule of cool trumps all here: Pairing Hunter with an ascending superstar in Brian Thomas Jr. is sexy as hell and gives Trevor Lawrence another big-time playmaking option. There’s nothing more important for the Jags than helping Lawrence reach his immense potential, and this move goes a long way toward that. Oh, and Hunter can play on defense too—helping bolster a major position of need at corner. This is risky, but I love it anyway.
From Nick Baumgardner and Scott Dochterman of The Athletic: A
The strategy might be to start out Hunter as a corner and let him work as a wide receiver on the side. In time, Jacksonville could have the league’s best (and, really, only) true two-way player. … The Jags are closer than many think, talent-wise, and Cleveland desperately needed more picks.
From Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report: A
The Jacksonville Jaguars paid a steep price, but the No. 1 overall talent in the class is well worth it. Colorado’s Travis Hunter is now heading to Duval County, where the answer to where he plays is simple: both wide receiver and cornerback.
From Matt Verderame of Sports Illustrated: A
Hunter is one of the most unique talents to ever come into the NFL, starring as both a corner and receiver for the Buffaloes. Over the past two years at Colorado, Hunter caught 153 passes for 1,979 yards and 20 touchdowns, including 15 as a senior. On defense, he notched seven interceptions in that span as well. Last year, Hunter won the Heisman Trophy, the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best receiver, and the Bednarik Award as the best defender in college football. In short, Hunter is a generational talent.
From Chad Reuter of NFL.com: A-
The Jaguars gave up a first-round pick next year and lowered the value of some of their middle-round draft assets this year to move up three spots for Hunter. They are getting a difference-maker on both sides of the ball, so it’s tough to move the grade down, even with the large price tag.
From Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA Today: A-
The cost is at least approaching prohibitive for a non-quarterback, with Jacksonville giving up both a second-round selection this year and first-rounder next year. But in landing a player whom many – including us – ranked as the top overall player in this class, new general manager James Gladstone and coach Liam Coen have taken a major step toward fulfilling their goal of getting more explosive. Now, with their pick haul depleted, the pressure is on Gladstone to unearth the mid-to-late-round gems who helped keep the Los Angeles Rams – with whom the 34-year-old spent nearly the last decade – in top form.
From staff at PFF: Elite
Jacksonville got aggressive to move up for the No. 1 overall player on the PFF Big Board. Hunter earned PFF receiving and coverage grades of at least 89.0 this past season while logging more than 1,500 snaps across 13 games. It remains to be seen how much the Jaguars will lean into his versatility, but Hunter’s rare ability to make a legitimate impact on both sides of the ball was enticing enough for them to trade up and secure the best prospect in this year’s draft.
From Charles McDonald of Yahoo Sports: B+
The Jaguars have made the first bold move of the draft, with new general manager James Gladstone taking the “F them picks” approach from his former workplace with the Rams. The Jaguars are getting the best player in the draft and will get to decide his fate on offense or defense, but Hunter plans on playing both ways. Obviously the Jaguars have not spoken much about Hunter prior to the draft, but it’s hard to hate on a team that already believes they have their quarterback moving up and getting Hunter.
From Rob Rang of FOX Sports: B
In 25 years of evaluating NFL prospects, I’ve never come across a player as versatile and talented as Hunter. He is truly one of one, earning my top grade as a receiver, as a cornerback and overall prospect. I absolutely believe that he can play both roles in the NFL, theoretically justifying the Jaguars’ aggressive trade up for him. Liam Coen was brought to Jacksonville to help Trevor Lawrence live up to his potential and get the Jaguars back into the playoffs. Adding Hunter to an offense that already boasts one of the NFL’s best young wideouts in Brian Thomas Jr. will do that. Adding a cornerback to challenge Thomas, as well, helps make this bold trade make sense. It had better, as trading their 2026 first-round selection to move up three spots is borderline reckless.
From Seth Walder of ESPN (analyzing the trade): B-
Was it worth it? As fun as it is, I have a hard time saying yes. Research over multiple decades has shown that NFL teams are overconfident in their ability to assess college prospects and that the trade market is inefficient for non-quarterbacks. By our Approximate Value-based draft pick value chart, the Browns gained surplus value worth the equivalent of a top-10 pick, assuming no discount for future picks and that next year’s pick is No. 16. … Are there mitigating factors here? Yes. Hunter is potentially two players in one, and that makes me view this more favorably than perhaps any other early non-QB trade up. In addition, this draft is viewed as having a substantial fall-off after Cam Ward, Hunter and Abdul Carter. The Jaguars avoided that with this deal.
What are your reactions to the reactions, Jaguars fans? Let us know in the comments below!
