NFL draft prospect, Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Travis Hunter, signs autographs during the NFL Draft Red Carpet event at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Thursday, April 24, 2025. Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Where Does Sports Illustrated Rank Jaguars' Draft Class?

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By John Shipley | Last updated May 2, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The Jacksonville Jaguars certainly made some noise during last week's NFL Draft, setting the tone for an exciting weekend with the biggest draft trade in franchise history.

Trading the No. 5 and 36 picks and a future first-rounder in order to get the Cleveland Browns' pick at No. 2, the Jaguars selected elite two-way star and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter to begin their new era.

The Hunter move is set to define not only the Jaguars' 2025 draft haul, but also the new regime of head coach Liam Coen, general manager James Gladstone and executive vice president of football operations Tony Boselli.

While the Jaguars drafted eight other players not named Hunter over the course of the weekend, it is fair to say the Hunter trade is the conversation surrounding the entire class right now. And as a result, it is heavily impacting the post-draft analysis and perception of the class.

In a recent ranking by Sports Illustrated of all 16 AFC Draft classes, the Jaguars came in at No. 12. The Houston Texans were No. 15, the Tennessee Titans were right in front of the Jaguars at No. 11, and the Indianapolis Colts were at No. 9.

"This draft will always be remembered for the Shedeur Sanders slide, and the trade between Jacksonville and Cleveland so the Jaguars could snag Hunter. Jacksonville gave up a massive haul for the two-way star including a 2026 first-rounder. If he turns into the NFL version of Shohei Ohtani, the move was well worth it. If not, it could be a disaster," Sports Illustrated said.

Not having the No. 36 pick likely hurts the Jaguars in these rankings, as does the fact that losing next year's first round pick is almost assuredly factored in as well.

With that said, the Jaguars did still make nine draft picks -- only one fewer than they were originally slotted to -- and they added two extra third-round picks for the 2026 NFL Draft via a Day 2 trade with the Detroit Lions.

But even with all of that in mind, the Hunter deal is what will ultimately make or break this Jaguars' draft class for most.