JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

Michael from Middleburg, FL

Wow. I did NOT see that coming. I don't even know if I like it or not.

The Jaguars on Thursday night selected University of Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter No. 2 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. They moved up from No. 5 to No. 2 to make the selection – and you were far from alone, with few around the NFL expecting the trade. The compensation gave this a stunning – and franchise-defining – feel. The Jaguars traded No. 5 to the Cleveland Browns for No. 2, also trading the No. 36 (Round 2) and No. 126 (Round 4) selections in the '25 draft – and their first-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Jaguars received from the Browns the Nos. 104 (Round 4) and 200 (Round 6) selections in the '25 draft. Why give up that level of compensation? Because the Jaguars believe Hunter is an athletic freak and a truly unique player. He's not just once-in-a-lifetime in their view; he's once … ever. The belief is that not only can he be productive at two positions, but that he has star quality at both positions. That's unusual in the sense that it never has happened – and it's therefore fair for there to be skeptics that anyone, even Hunter, can do it. That also means there's substantial risk involved. The Jaguars gave up equity that could have produced multiple starters – including top-level starters. This was premium stuff. I don't know that I would have had the guts to pull it off. That's why I'm not running an NFL team. The people now running the Jaguars – Head Coach Liam Coen, General Manager James Gladstone and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli – absolutely had the guts. Gladstone has said since taking the position in February that this group would be bold. This is boldness defined. Here we go.

Tony from Johns Creek, GA

O, I heard rumblings, but didn't believe it. It definitely was a go-big-or-go-home moment.

This figures to be a recurring theme when discussing this selection – and this regime – in the coming months, but yes … this was a phenomenally bold move. Gladstone unsurprisingly said it best when discussing the move late Thursday night: "This was certainly a statement for how we plan to move, how we plan to operate. I think we did a lot of talking up to this point and wanted to make sure that we showed through action exactly what those words mean. I think that this is certainly a reflection of a lot of the catchphrases, or so to speak, 'catchphrases,' that may have been presumed as much, but this is a real visual representation of what all that means." There it is.

Rob from San Antonio, TX

Wow.

You got that right.

AMY from Jacksonville

Bold moves make me uneasy Jonny OOO.

I'm with you, Amy. Bold moves leave you open to criticism. They're risky. They're high-profile. I am a weak soul and therefore shy away from such things. Gladstone is a strong soul and therefore welcomes such things. It's why he's running an NFL team and I'm annoying people with O-Zone questions about longtime Florida Times-Union sports columnist and Northeast Florida cultural icon/thought leader Eugene P. "Gene" Frenette. We all have our roles in this crazy life. This is mine.

Big Jags Fan from Jacksonville

Same old Jags? Those days are over! They went out and got the best athlete available with a BIG trade. The new regime is going for it!

One fer bold, evidently.

Ryan from Kansas City

Wow. Yikes. Yay? But yikes, though. But also, yay. Can Hunter truly be a two for one in the NFL?

This is a fair and understandable range of emotions. Selecting Hunter is an unconventional and somewhat risky move. It requires vision and the belief that Hunter can do something that never has been done. It's also a move that could bring huge success. The Jaguars believe Hunter can change the trajectory of the NFL and therefore be a successful selection on a historical scale. That's it. That's the storyline. Here we go.

Dakota from Dupree, SD

I'm excited about the pick! How ya feeling?

A-ight.

Bryan from Lutz

I hate this franchise. This is far worse than just taking Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty at No. 5. This team isn't remotely close to one player away. I don't care if Travis Hunter is a Hall of Famer. It's a disaster.

This is a categorically silly thing to say. If Hunter is a Pro Football Hall of Famer, this is not close to a disaster.

JT from Palm Coast, FL

Got ourselves a stud, John! I know we gave up a lot, but this is the kind of move I love. Kudos to the GM and everyone else involved. He is a special player.

One fer Hunter.

Armand from Jacksonville

What do you think of the trade and the pick? Was it fair or did we pay too much?

The trade and the selection were bold. The Jaguars believe Hunter is a generational, league-defining talent – as evidenced by the terms of the trade. But I was honestly surprised the Jaguars didn't have to trade more to the Browns to make it happen. They gave up a second-round selection in this year's draft and a first-rounder next year. If you believe Hunter is essentially two players – a receiver and a corner – and if you believe the Jaguars will be above .500 next season and that the draft selection therefore is somewhere in the high teens or low twenties, then it's a very fair trade for the Jaguars.

Scott from Fernandina Beach, FL

Bold!

Yep.

Mike from Azores

Hey, John. I must say that I love the trade! I see it as we used our first pick on the best wide receiver. Our second pick on the best cornerback in the draft! A swap of fourth-round picks, while picking up an extra sixth-round pick! And all it cost was next year's first-round pick, which we expect will be in the back third of the draft! I say a well planned, thoughtful trade by our new GM "Stones"!!!

This is essentially how the Jaguars' decision-makers see the trade – and the selection. Gladstone on Thursday night said he believes Hunter is worth a first-round selection at wide receiver and a first-round selection at cornerback. That means the Jaguars essentially believe they selected two first-round players with one selection. That's the lens through which the trade has value and the lens through which the selection should be viewed.

Jay from So-Cal

Trading up to get Travis Hunter was a bold move by the Jaguars and I fully support it. He was the consensus No. 1 player in the draft and can play both sides of the ball. We needed another top quality wide receiver and cornerback, and we got it with one pick. I know the naysayers will say we gave up our second-rounder this year and our first-round pick next year, but quality over quantity I say. We have yet to see how it all plays out, but I am ecstatic that we have a guy that is hungry and wanting to be a force on the field both ways. How do you see it, O? Was it the right move? Can you live with letting go of two early picks this year and next?

Would I have done it? Probably not. I lean more toward old-school NFL philosophy – and old-school NFL philosophy more conservatively leans toward focusing on the lines and "safely" adding multiple early selections rather than one premium selection. But the Jaguars' new decision-makers aren't old-school – and the NFL increasingly is not old school. Gladstone summed up the Jaguars' thoughts about Hunter pretty succinctly Thursday when he said the following: "You can count however many drafts you want to, there are players who have the capacity to alter a game. There are players who have the capacity to alter the trajectory of a team. There are very few players who have the capacity to alter the trajectory of the sport itself. Travis, while he has a lot to still earn, in our eyes, has the potential to do just that." If they're right, this was the right move. If not, it wasn't.

Pedal Bin from Farnborough, Hampshire, UK

Oh Mighty 'O' / King Of All Funk, I cannot believe the Jaguars drafted that player when the other player I liked more was available. Why didn't they Trade Up, or Trade Down to get more picks and select the player I wanted? I looked at some Yo Tube footage and clearly the player I wanted is much better, but now that other team has drafted the player and he will be a perennial Pro Bowler and a first ballot Hall of Famer. Once again, the Jaguars have blown it with their First Round Pick.

Welcome to the NFL Draft.