- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 439,996
- Reaction score
- 44
Roughly 24 hours before the first round of the 2025 NFL draft, rumors began swirling about the Jacksonville Jaguars wanting to trade up to pick No. 2 in a deal with the Cleveland Browns. However, it's not as if conversations had just begun at that point. In fact, a deal had been agreed to for a few weeks.
According to Mike Silver of The Athletic, Jaguars' GM James Gladstone and Browns' GM Andrew Berry worked out the terms of their eventual trade. But there were two contingencies tied to this deal before it could become official.
One was that Cam Ward had to be taken at pick No. 1. If he hadn't been, the Browns were likely to take him at No. 2. The other contingency was that each team's owner had to approve the deal.
"(Tony) Boselli, Gladstone and (Liam) Coen then went to Boselli’s office and placed a call to (Shad) Khan, who listened to the trio’s reasoning," wrote Silver. "Hunter was special, and this was an opportunity to make a bold move that spoke to the team’s new direction. It sounded good to Khan, who asked a few questions. Finally, he told them, “If you guys think it’s best, let’s do it.”
To acquire the second overall pick, the Jaguars parted with picks 5, 36, and 126 in this year's draft and next year's first-round selection as well. In return, they got pick No. 2, pick 104, and pick 200.
"He's somebody who is deserving of a first-round draft pick as a wide receiver, and he is worthy of a first-round draft pick as a corner," Gladstone said via ESPN. "Certainly look forward to each of those elements showing themselves over the next few years while he's under his rookie contract. But yeah, we're excited about just getting him in the boat, so to speak."
Hunter was the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner and brings an ultra-rare skill set to the NFL level, playing both cornerback and wide receiver at a high level. On many draft analysts' big boards, he was the top-ranked cornerback in this class and a wide receiver.
Hunter caught an impressive 79% of his 121 targets, averaging 13.1 yards per catch with 15 touchdowns, according to PFF. In coverage, Hunter allowed a completion rate of only 56% on 41 targets and held pass-catchers to under 10.0 yards per catch. He also came away with four interceptions and seven pass breakups.
According to Adam Schefter, the Jaguars are expected to play Hunter at both positions. Jacksonville will "on-board him by giving him a heavy dose of the wide receiver position while still playing him at his more natural position on defense."
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Jaguars, Browns worked out draft day trade weeks ago
Continue reading...
According to Mike Silver of The Athletic, Jaguars' GM James Gladstone and Browns' GM Andrew Berry worked out the terms of their eventual trade. But there were two contingencies tied to this deal before it could become official.
One was that Cam Ward had to be taken at pick No. 1. If he hadn't been, the Browns were likely to take him at No. 2. The other contingency was that each team's owner had to approve the deal.
"(Tony) Boselli, Gladstone and (Liam) Coen then went to Boselli’s office and placed a call to (Shad) Khan, who listened to the trio’s reasoning," wrote Silver. "Hunter was special, and this was an opportunity to make a bold move that spoke to the team’s new direction. It sounded good to Khan, who asked a few questions. Finally, he told them, “If you guys think it’s best, let’s do it.”
To acquire the second overall pick, the Jaguars parted with picks 5, 36, and 126 in this year's draft and next year's first-round selection as well. In return, they got pick No. 2, pick 104, and pick 200.
"He's somebody who is deserving of a first-round draft pick as a wide receiver, and he is worthy of a first-round draft pick as a corner," Gladstone said via ESPN. "Certainly look forward to each of those elements showing themselves over the next few years while he's under his rookie contract. But yeah, we're excited about just getting him in the boat, so to speak."
Hunter was the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner and brings an ultra-rare skill set to the NFL level, playing both cornerback and wide receiver at a high level. On many draft analysts' big boards, he was the top-ranked cornerback in this class and a wide receiver.
Hunter caught an impressive 79% of his 121 targets, averaging 13.1 yards per catch with 15 touchdowns, according to PFF. In coverage, Hunter allowed a completion rate of only 56% on 41 targets and held pass-catchers to under 10.0 yards per catch. He also came away with four interceptions and seven pass breakups.
According to Adam Schefter, the Jaguars are expected to play Hunter at both positions. Jacksonville will "on-board him by giving him a heavy dose of the wide receiver position while still playing him at his more natural position on defense."
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Jaguars, Browns worked out draft day trade weeks ago
Continue reading...
