The Cleveland Browns shocked the world early in the NFL Draft, shipping the No. 2 overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for the No. 5 pick, a 2026 first-round pick, and several day-two selections.
Here are the full trade details, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
This is a home run pick for the Jags, who desperately need help at both cornerback and wide receiver. It's unclear how frequently Hunter will occupy each position, but he was a two-way star at Colorado and he should be able continue that in the pros.
Sure, Jacksonville gave up a lot, but Hunter couldn't ask for a better landing spot. It's close to home, as Hunter was born in West Palm Beach. He attended Jackson State with Deion Sanders before transferring to Boulder. He also gets to join one of the NFL's top play-callers in Liam Coen, who made the most of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in Tampa Bay. That should give us a hint as far as his future "position" — or positions — at the next level.
For Cleveland fans, however, feelings are understandably mixed. The Browns don't need CB help like Jacksonville, but Cleveland's WR room is awfully thin. Hunter is also a generational prospect, widely hailed as the top overall talent in a "weak" draft.
GM Andrew Berry will take heat for trading out of the Hunter pick, especially if he blows up in Jacksonville, but there is logic behind the trade.
Browns trading Travis Hunter to Jaguars stings, but there's good reason for it
Cleveland is stockpiling talent. It's as simple as that. The Browns even entertained trading down again from No. 5, per The Athletic's Dianna Russini. Berry's track record in the GM chair is mixed at best, but he understands the dire state of affairs in Cleveland. The Browns are cycling through veteran quarterback, with a roster chock full of holes.
While Hunter was the best available prospect, this trade should allow the Browns to address a wider variety of needs — including three picks in the top-36, at the very least. Cleveland can look at top wideouts, such as Texas' Matthew Golden and Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka. The Browns can target edge help, like UGA's Jalon Walker, Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart or UGA's Mykel Williams. The options are plentiful.
Cleveland has a loaded cap sheet and a stark lack of playable top-end talent outside of Myles Garrett. It's a tough position to be in and the best way to address a thin, expensive roster, is to stack talent on rookie-scale deals.
The Browns ultimately went with Michigan DT Mason Graham at No. 5, giving them another elite pass-rusher opposite Myles Garrett. It's not an Abdul Carter-level grand slam, but it's a huge boost to the Cleveland defense.
Browns fans should feel tentatively good about things...