Anonymous Executives React to Jaguars' Draft

The Jacksonville Jaguars made the biggest move of the entire draft last week, and it still has people talking.

There are wide-ranging opinions on the Jaguars' major draft haul, and we now know how some across the NFL.

Speaking to executives across the NFL about how each team performed in the 2025 NFL Draft, The Athletic's Mike Sando delivered the thoughts of how the NFL views each team's haul.

As expected, the main focus on the Jaguars' draft centered around none other than Travis Hunter, the Jaguars' selection at No. 2 overall after a blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Browns.

“I can’t name a dual-threat guy who played both ways at the level they are drafting him at,” an executive told Sando. “Deion Sanders? Rod Woodson? They all settled into whatever their position is. As soon as he gets one injury and is out for three weeks, he is going to one side of the ball.”

Another executive seemed surprised the Jaguars made the move considering the perception the Jaguars would be an analytics-based operation.

“The Jags have a young GM who, by all accounts, would be more analytically inclined in his decision-making, in an organization that you think holds analytics in high regard ... and what do they do? They do the opposite of the analytical decision by trading up to select a non-quarterback," one executive told Sando.

Finally, there is the question of just how high the pick the Jaguars are giving up will be. The Jaguars' first-round pick in 2026 could be as high as top-10 based on most win projections, while the Jaguars will certainly hope to win more games than that.

“Hunter will really affect the game and will be great for the quarterback, but I would not have paid that much ... We’ll see when they are not picking in the first round next year how it feels, and if it’s a top-10 pick they traded away," another executive said.

“They had to feel really good about their roster to give up a high two and next year’s one ... But is Trevor Lawrence the guy? What happens if he suffers his third concussion in three years? Everybody makes those trades thinking they will be 25 or later. It seems short-sighted," a final executive said.