The Jacksonville Jaguars’ first-round pick, Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver and defensive back Travis Hunter, left, answers questions during a press conference Friday, March 25, 2025 at Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. with General Manager James Gladstone, right. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jaguars Created 2025 NFL Draft's Biggest 'What-If'

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By John Shipley | Last updated May 10, 2025 7:00 AM ET

No team in the entire NFL changed the course of this year's draft quite like the Jacksonville Jaguars.

For months, it seemed as if the top-3 picks of the draft were locked in with little surprises in store. But with one quick trade on draft night, the Jaguars turned the entire draft weekend on its head.

For as long as the 2025 draft is remembered, the Jaguars' bold trade is likely set to be the defining moment -- regardless of how well the move actually pans out on the field. And that is why it is far from a surprise to see the Jaguars' move rank so highly on post-draft lists.

In a list of "what-if's" from the 2025 NFL Draft, Pro Football Focus starts off with none other than the Jaguars' massive trade up with the Cleveland Browns to land Travis Hunter.

"The draft started in explosive fashion with the Jacksonville Jaguars trading up to the second-overall pick to take Colorado superstar Travis Hunter. Ultimately, they made the Browns an offer they couldn’t refuse, one that included a 2026 first-round selection. Had Cleveland remained in its original slot and drafted Hunter, the rest of the top eight may have looked very different," PFF said.

With the Browns staying at No. 2, PFF had Hunter off the board at No. 2 to Cleveland and had picks No. 3 and No. 4 change.

But with Hunter now off the board, the Jaguars took Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty -- leading to Armand Membou, Tyler Warren, and Mason Graham all coming off the board in the next three picks.

"The above scenario is just one of many that could have unfolded if Cleveland had selected Hunter second overall instead of trading down. The ripple effect starts in earnest with Jacksonville, which was rumored to be seeking an offensive playmaker. The best one remaining was Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, who went off the board one pick later to Las Vegas," PFF said.

But, that is the nature of the NFL Draft. What-if's count for very little, and the dust settles wherever it is destined to.

For the Jaguars in 2025, that meant landing the best player in the entire draft in Travis Hunter.