If we ignore Shedeur Sanders being selected at No. 144 overall, the story of the 2025 NFL Draft was the trade that took place just minutes into the event. New general manager James Gladstone of the Jacksonville Jaguars decided to make a splash by sending a package of picks to move up to No. 2 overall for Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. Gladstone found a willing trade partner in Andrew Berry of the Cleveland Browns, who accepted a second-round pick, a fourth-round pick and a future first-round pick to move down three spots in the draft order.
He also gave up a fourth-round pick and a sixth-round pick. With his new first-round pick at No. 5 overall, Berry took a defensive tackle out of Michigan. It was hard to imagine that player having the kind of impact a Heisman winner would.
The Jaguars drafted Hunter with the goal of him being a two-way player, as he starred at both cornerback and wide receiver during his time at Jackson State and Colorado. Hunter, the cornerback, won Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2024, while Hunter, the receiver, won the Biletnikoff Award. During that season, Hunter caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns, and made 36 tackles to go along with 11 passes defensed and four interceptions.
"He's a rare person," Gladstone said last year. But he's also a reminder that the boundaries of the game of football we built to be challenged. We want him to be nothing more than him – because when he is, he elevates the space around him – from the football field, to the city, to the game of football itself.
"Travis Hunter is who we've been hunting up." Now that we are over one year removed from this trade, and all the players involved in the deal have played a few games, let's attempt to regrade it. First, here are the results: The big difference between the general managers involved in this trade is that one believed there was a player available worth taking at No. 2 overall that could revolutionize their team if not the sport of football altogether, while the other did not. Berry and the Browns decided to accept Jacksonville's offer and move down, acquiring additional draft capital.
No. 5 overall pick Mason Graham didn't look like a defensive tackle worth a top-five pick during his rookie season, as he recorded 49 tackles and half a sack with seven tackles for loss in his 17 starts. However, he has completely flipped the script in 2026. Through the first three games of his second season, Graham has recorded 15 tackles and a whopping four sacks.
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