Who won the Jaguars-Browns draft-day trade for Travis Hunter?

Daniel Oyefusi
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Daniel Oyefusi

ESPN
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Michael DiRocco
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Michael DiRocco

ESPN Staff Writer
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Seth Walder
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Seth Walder

ESPN Analytics

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Apr 18, 2026, 06:00 AM ET

It was around this time a year ago that the seeds for a blockbuster NFL draft trade were planted.

At the 2025 league meetings in Palm Beach, Florida, Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone approached Cleveland Browns GM Andrew Berry about the Browns’ second overall pick and how open Berry was to trading it.

The Jaguars had their eye on wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, the Heisman Trophy-winning star who sought to become the first full-time two-way player in the modern era — and they wanted to move up three spots to get him.

Berry had publicly expressed an openness to a trade, and conversations between the two picked up after the league meetings broke.

As the Browns put a bow on their evaluation of the 2025 draft class in early April, and it became expected that the Tennessee Titans were going to select quarterback Cam Ward with the first overall pick, Cleveland opted not to use the No. 2 pick on a quarterback such as Shedeur Sanders and instead pivot.

Discussions continued with the Jaguars until Day 1 of the draft. Minutes after the Titans selected Ward with the first pick, the trade was announced: The Jaguars sent the No. 5, 36th and 126th picks and a 2026 first-rounder to the Browns for the No. 2 pick and the 104th and 200th picks.

The Jaguars then selected Hunter at No. 2.

“It’s rare to be able to target and prioritize a player who can alter the trajectory of the sport itself,” Gladstone said. “And Travis is somebody that we view has the potential to do that.”

Cleveland bypassed what many considered a generational prospect in Hunter and opted to collect even more draft picks to aid the rebuilding of their aging roster. The Browns selected defensive tackle Mason Graham with the No. 5 pick, Quinshon Judkins with the No. 36 pick — who both became immediate starters in 2025 — and now have a coveted additional first-round pick (No. 24) in next week’s draft (April 23-25; ESPN, ABC, ESPN App).

“I think it’s something that made sense for both organizations at the time,” Berry said at the 2026 NFL league meeting last month. “I think for us, the ability to realistically draft Mason, draft [Judkins], and then obviously be sitting here with pick 24, it made sense for where we are in our team’s life cycle. And it’s a way … you’re able to manufacture assets or resources without necessarily trading away a veteran player.”

Hunter went on to play seven games in his rookie season before right knee surgery cut his season short after scoring one touchdown with no interceptions. Graham started every game for the Browns and had 49 tackles (seven for loss) and four QB hits to make the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-Rookie team.

A year later, ESPN Jaguars reporter Michael DiRocco and Browns reporter Daniel Oyefusi examine how the trade has since worked out for both teams, and analyst Seth Walder weighs in on who has won the trade … so far.

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Jaguars | Browns | Who won?

How did Hunter do in his rookie season for Jaguars?

Expectations for Hunter as a rookie were high — but they got higher after Gladstone called the 22-year-old someone who could “alter the trajectory of the sport.”

In the buildup to the 2025 season, the Jaguars were adamant that Hunter was going to play both ways, which would make him the first regular two-way player since Roy Green in 1981.

But getting Hunter ready to do that was the challenge. The biggest issue the team faced was managing Hunter’s schedule to get him ample meeting and practice time on both sides. They weren’t worried about him physically — they were amazed at how he never seemed to tire — but the mental load would be a challenge. The Jaguars tried easing him in by having him practice on one side of the ball during OTAs — beginning with offense because it would be more complex to learn. On the last day of mandatory minicamp in June, he practiced with the defense.

Once training camp began, Hunter practiced on one side of the ball through the first seven practices. When the Jaguars were in special teams periods he would work off to the side with assistant coaches from the opposite side of the ball to get individual training. Then he started flip-flopping during practices.

His teammates were impressed with the way Hunter handled the workload.

“His energy is different,” cornerback Jourdan Lewis said. “And the way he goes about his business is different. All he wants to do is play football. It takes a special individual mentally to go out there and want to do both things. … He has it to do it.”

In the regular season, Hunter showed flashes of elite ability in the seven games before he suffered a torn lateral collateral ligament in his right knee while on defense during an Oct. 30 practice. He played 67% of the team’s offensive snaps and 36% of the defensive snaps up until that point. Hunter showed his ability to make defenders miss and impressed on a leaping catch in Week 4.

On defense, he had an impressive fourth-down pass breakup in a Week 2 game against the Cincinnati Bengals late in the fourth quarter, but was hit with a questionable pass interference penalty.

It wasn’t until Week 7 that coach Liam Coen decided to run the pass offense through Hunter. He caught eight passes for 101 yards and a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams. But all momentum was lost when he hurt his knee in practice after the following bye week.

Hunter finished his rookie season with 28 catches for 298 yards and a touchdown and 15 tackles and three pass breakups. — DiRocco

What’s the long-term outlook for the Jaguars, Hunter?

Gladstone said Hunter will still be a two-way player in 2026, but he’ll primarily be a cornerback — at least the beginning of the season — because that’s where he is needed most.

“We still expect [Hunter] to play on both sides of the ball,” Gladstone said three days after the Jaguars’ season ended with a 27-24 wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills. “Obviously you can take a peek at expiring contracts on our roster and which side of the ball has more. At this point walking into the offseason, corner is a position that we have a few guys who are on expiring contracts. By default, you can expect there to be a higher emphasis on his placement [on defense].”

On the other side of the ball, the receivers room is somewhat crowded.

Parker Washington, who led the Jaguars in catches (58) and receiving yards (847) in 2025, returns. Thomas surged in the back half of the season and the Jags are optimistic he’s over his sophomore struggles. Jakobi Meyers was added at the trade deadline last season and he displayed chemistry with Trevor Lawrence.

These players allow the Jaguars to be more selective in how, and when, they use Hunter on offense.

Gladstone said Hunter has progressed well in the rehab for his knee injury but will be limited throughout OTAs and minicamp as a precautionary measure. He will be fully cleared to participate in training camp.

As for the Jaguars, they don’t have a first-round pick this year.

They do, however, have 11 total picks, including four from 56-100, and management believes the roster — though it needs help at defensive tackle, edge rusher and linebacker — is in good enough shape to allow it to take a best available player approach in the draft.

Beyond 2026, the team plans to continue to use Hunter on both sides of the ball, though it’s too early to tell what that mix could be. It likely will depend on where he’s needed the most, but if he does become an elite cornerback, it’s logical to assume he’d remain primarily on defense and have a package of plays on offense. — DiRocco

Hunter’s Year 2 will be a success if he _____.

Makes a significant impact on both sides of the ball. There are some inside the organization that believe Hunter was already the team’s best corner last season, and if that’s indeed the case in 2026 and he contributes a handful of big plays in key moments on offense, Hunter will establish himself as one of the league’s young superstars. — DiRocco

Who emerged as the centerpiece from the Browns’ trade haul?

The Browns were able to get Graham, whom Berry also regarded as an elite prospect and called a “DNA match” for Cleveland’s attacking defense.

Graham immediately stepped into a starting role as a strong run defender; his 38% run stop win rate led all rookies and ranked 27th in the NFL. Graham was inconsistent at times as a pass rusher and registered only a half-sack, but he still led all rookies in pass rush win rate as an interior defender (8.3%) and ranked 20th across the entire league.

Cleveland also found a potential lead back in Judkins with the 36th overall pick. Judkins ran for 827 yards and seven touchdowns, and he led all rookies in rushing yards before he suffered a season-ending dislocated ankle and fractured fibula in Week 16.

Running back Dylan Sampson, the 126th pick, showed signs of being a dynamic runner and pass catcher and should form a tandem with Judkins for years to come. — Oyefusi

Graham’s Year 2 will be a success if he _____.

Takes another step as a pass rusher. Graham’s ability as a run defender will allow him to consistently contribute on early downs, but it’s his pass rush that will define his ceiling; former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz noted at times that they were looking for more from Graham in that area. Graham’s pass rush numbers dipped a bit after veteran defensive tackle Maliek Collins suffered a season-ending quad injury in Week 13, so Graham will have to continue developing his pass rush as teams increasingly game-plan for him. — Oyefusi

What are the Browns planning to do with the extra first-round pick this year?

The 2026 first-rounder from the Jaguars is bit lower down the board than the Browns envisioned when they executed the trade, and a weak quarterback class likely removes a passer from consideration at No. 24. However, the pick could still be used to address one of the Browns’ remaining needs: wide receiver or offensive tackle.

among possible targets that Cleveland has hosted on predraft visits.

Utah OT Caleb Lomu, Texas A&M WR KC Concepcion, Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr, Ohio State WR Carnell Tate, Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor and Georgia OT Monroe Freeling are among possible targets that Cleveland has hosted on predraft visits. However, Berry has preached a best player available philosophy, so Cleveland taking a defensive player is a real possibility. — Oyefusi

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As of now, who won the trade?

The Browns.

Any time a team deals a first-round pick to move up in the draft for a non-quarterback, the deck is stacked against it in terms of its odds of winning the trade. The argument that Hunter was an exception centered on the idea that he could literally fill two starting spots — at cornerback and wide receiver.

Fast forward a year, and that two-for-one concept appears to slightly change with Hunter expected to focus more on defense in 2026 while complementing offensive starters.

We also now have NFL-level information on the players involved in the deal.

Hunter certainly retains All-Pro upside at cornerback, but we haven’t seen that yet after an injury-shortened rookie campaign. Graham was solid, as detailed above. And Judkins looks like he could be a good running back for the Browns going forward.

The fact that the Browns got those players plus the No. 24 pick in this year’s draft — even if that isn’t quite as high of a pick as they might have hoped at the time of the trade last year — is what makes this trade so favorable to them. In order for the Jaguars to come out ahead in the end, Hunter will have to be exceptional, and none of Graham, Judkins or Cleveland’s selection at No. 24 can end up being exceptional themselves. Otherwise, it’s the Browns who will have gotten the better end of the bargain — and that’s what looks far more likely right now. — Walder

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