The NFL Draft went chalk — for all of 1 choose.
After the Tennessee Titans chosen quarterback Cam Ward out of Miami with the primary total choose as anticipated, the Jacksonville Jaguars swung a surprising blockbuster commerce to take two-way sensation Travis Hunter out of Colorado at No. 2.
The Jaguars despatched a haul of picks — together with subsequent yr’s first-rounder — to the Cleveland Browns to maneuver up three spots in Thursday’s first spherical in Inexperienced Bay.
They then drafted Hunter, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, whose twin excellence as a large receiver and cornerback made him one of the distinctive prospects in NFL historical past.
Final season, Hunter totaled 1,258 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns on offense and 4 interceptions and 11 passes defended on protection.
Browns basic supervisor Andrew Berry likened him to Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ hitting-and-pitching celebrity, prompting hypothesis that Cleveland was honing in on Hunter.
However Jacksonville GM James Gladstone made a proposal the Browns couldn’t refuse.
The Jags despatched the No. 5 total choose; a second-round choose and a fourth-round choose on this yr’s draft; and their 2026 first-rounder to Cleveland for the No. 2 choose, plus this yr’s fourth-rounder and sixth-rounder, in response to ESPN.
Colorado large receiver Travis Hunter poses after being chosen by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the second total choose through the first spherical of the NFL soccer draft, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Inexperienced Bay, Wis. (AP Picture/Jeff Roberson)
The jaw-dropping commerce pairs Hunter with quarterback Trevor Lawrence and bolsters a defensive backfield that had a evident want at cornerback.
“I’m super excited to be able to go back home and be able to play for an organization that thought I was worth trading up to get,” Hunter, who hails from West Palm Seashore, Fla., stated on ESPN’s draft broadcast.
The Hunter stunner instantly adopted a Titans choose that had been anticipated for weeks.
Lauded for his arm power and big-play capability, Ward led the nation with 39 landing passes and ranked second with 4,313 passing yards in his lone season with the Hurricanes.
Thursday capped a roller-coaster journey for Ward, who was a zero-star recruit out of Columbia Excessive College in West Columbia, Texas, when he dedicated to Incarnate Phrase, the one college to supply him a scholarship. Ward spent two years at Incarnate Phrase and two extra at Washington State earlier than he transferred to Miami, which he led to a 10-3 document.
Ward is now tasked with main a Titans staff that simply completed 3-14 — its third consecutive dropping season — however that boasts a second-year head coach in Brian Callahan who has labored with Peyton Manning, Matthew Stafford and Joe Burrow at earlier stops.
The choices of Ward and Hunter cleared the Giants to take touted Penn State cross rusher Abdul Carter with the No. 3 choose. Most evaluators thought-about Hunter and Carter to be the one blue-chip prospects at premium positions on this yr’s draft.
The New England Patriots drafted LSU offensive sort out Will Campbell with the No. 4 choose, whereas the Browns used the No. 5 choose on Michigan defensive sort out Mason Graham.
That left sensational Boise State working again Ashton Jeanty for the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 6. Jeanty was a Heisman finalist after main Division I with 2,601 speeding yards and averaging 7.0 yards per carry. He ran for 29 touchdowns.
The Jets bolstered their offensive line by drafting Missouri sort out Armand Membou at No. 7, and the Carolina Panthers took big-bodied Arizona large receiver Tetairoa McMillan at No. 8.
The New Orleans Saints drafted offensive sort out Kelvin Banks Jr. out of Texas at No. 9, whereas the Chicago Bears rounded out the highest 10 by choosing Michigan tight finish Colston Loveland.
After taking the perfect participant obtainable at No. 3, the Giants traded with the Houston Texans to get again into the primary spherical and draft Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart at No. 25. That deal value the Giants the No. 34 and No. 99 picks, in addition to subsequent yr’s third-rounder.
Ward and Dart had been the one quarterbacks chosen within the first spherical. Notably, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders — the son of Corridor of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders — was not taken Thursday.
Different picks included the Dallas Cowboys drafting Alabama guard Tyler Booker at No. 12; the Miami Dolphins choosing Michigan defensive sort out Kenneth Grant at No. 13; and the Indianapolis Colts taking Penn State tight finish Tyler Warren at No. 14.
Oregon offensive sort out Josh Conerly Jr. went to the Washington Commanders at No. 29, whereas Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston went to the Buffalo Payments at No. 30. Alabama linebacker
Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell slipped to No. 31, with the Philadelphia Eagles shifting up one spot in a swap with the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs to take him. The Chiefs drafted Ohio State offensive sort out Josh Simmons with the ultimate choose of the spherical.
Initially Printed: April 24, 2025 at 8:18 PM EDT
