Jacksonville Jaguars select Travis Hunter in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft

The Jacksonville Jaguars have selected Colorado cornerback and receiver Travis Hunter with the No. 2 overall pick in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday night from Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Jaguars drafted Hunter after trading up from No. 5 with the Cleveland Browns. The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner, Hunter, brings the ultra-rare dynamic of being a true two-way player who is capable of playing multiple positions in the NFL.

The 6-foot, 188-pound Hunter took home nearly every individual award he qualified for during the 2024 season. In addition to the Heisman, the Buffaloes superstar won the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and AP College Football Player of the Year, the Biletnikoff Award (best receiver), the Bednarik Award (best defender), the Paul Hornung Award (most versatile player), the Lott IMPACT Trophy (top defender), as well as earning unanimous All-American status in addition to Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2024.

Travis Hunter led Colorado with a career-high 96 receptions for 1,258 receiving yards and a Big 12-leading 15 total touchdowns on offense, including one rushing, in addition to four interceptions, 11 passes defended, one forced fumble and 36 total tackles on defense last season.

“He didn’t take as many unnecessary risks at cornerback, relying more on discipline and technique to stay in position,” NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah said of Hunter. “On offense, … he is constantly changing gears to keep cornerbacks off balance and he never wastes steps at the top of his route. …  I believe there is a way for him to make an impact on both sides of the ball, but it will likely require him majoring in defense with a minor in offense.”

Hunter originally signed with Jackson State, becoming the highest-ever ranked player to commit to an HBCU as a Five-Star Plus+ prospect out of Collins Hill (Suwanee, Ga.) High School in the 2022 recruiting cycle. Hunter was also the No. 2 overall player and No. 1-ranked athlete in the 2022 class, according to On3’s Industry Rankings, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Travis Hunter

NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein provided a detailed analysis of Hunter’s game ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, and compared him to fellow former Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith as a receiver and Darius Slay as a cornerback. That’s some lofty praise.

Zierlein gushed about Hunter’s “world-class athleticism” and natural ball skills that help him succeed on both sides of the ball, thanks to an elite instinctiveness that allows him to make big plays at the biggest times. Offensively, Zierlein pointed out Hunter gets by on talent over technique and could use some work to smooth out his route running in the NFL. Defensively, Zierlein acknowledged Hunter made improvements from 2023 to 2024, translating his skills and instincts as a receiver to cornerback but can amplify his play with a true ball-hawking talent on the edge.

“Exciting two-way player whose world-class athleticism and ball skills help him shine on both sides of the ball. Hunter is an instinctive, natural football player with a feel for making the biggest plays at the biggest times. He was the best player on his team by a long stretch,” Zierlein wrote on Hunter’s NFL.com draft profile. “On offense, Hunter gets by on talent over technique, but will need to smooth out the journey from press release to catch with better route running. He has the burst to uncover over three levels with ball skills and catch focus that are reminiscent of DeVonta Smith in his Heisman Trophy-winning season.

“The cornerback tape was solid in 2023 and improved across the board in 2024. Hunter takes his skills and instincts from receiver and transfers them to cornerback, where they amplify his ball-hawking talent and production,” Zierlein continued. “Hunter plays with excellent anticipation from man or zone with burst and playmaking range that should terrify quarterbacks. He possesses rare ball skills and leaping ability to make challenging interceptions and he will contest a high number of passes. He’s leggy and loses some ground when transitioning from his pedal, and he needs to prove he can handle the rigors of NFL run support.

“Hunter was playing twice as much as his fellow prospects, and he lacks ideal frame size at both receiver and cornerback. Teams will need to make a decision on where and how to play Hunter, but he’s capable of making a good number of winning plays as a future star no matter the choice.”