If the Jaguars keep the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, what 10 weeks after the start of the 2024 season, believes Jacksonville's general manager will face an easy choice in April.
Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic identified potential candidates for teams that could take first in the draft, including Jacksonville, and envisioned a “win-win situation” for both the club and the player by taking the Jaguars with him which brought together Colorado wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter Jr.
We'll see how things play out (and of course that job is still filled at the moment), but the Jaguars get my early vote for the best start to the upcoming 2025 NFL coaching cycle. That's not just because of new coach Trevor Lawrence would get. There's also a ton of young talent to work with on this roster, and the Jaguars currently have the most 2025 draft capital in the league.
While the 2025 draft class doesn't appear to be elite in any way, it's more than enough for the Jaguars – a directionless group that's better than their record – to turn their fortunes around.
Hunter, the best college player in America, could help finally give Lawrence a real weapon and/or establish the Jaguars' defensive culture. It's a win-win situation. Easy fit.
Hunter has emerged as one of the best two-way players in college football history over the course of his three-year career, under head coach Deion Sanders as a freshman at Jackson State and the past two seasons at Colorado.
In 26 games between both schools, Hunter has logged 144 receptions for 1,767 yards and 18 touchdowns, as well as totaling 70 tackles, seven interceptions, 20 passes defensed and one forced fumble.
If that scenario plays out, the Jaguars could pair Hunter with Brian Thomas Jr., their star rookie wide receiver, to give Lawrence a dynamic, young pass-catching duo for years to come.
If the Jaguars prefer Hunter's defensive upside, Jacksonville could also line Hunter up against Tyson Campbell, who has signed one I was with the club last off-season and have been an outside cornerback for the foreseeable future.
Or the Jaguars could even do both.
The 2025 NFL Draft begins on April 24th.