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Travis Hunter - English
The Cleveland Browns made one of the boldest moves of the 2025 NFL Draft by trading away the No. 2 overall pick to Jacksonville, a decision that allowed the Jaguars to select Travis Hunter, widely regarded as the best all-around player in the draft. So why did they do it? Do they regret it?
In return for moving down from No. 2 to No. 5, the Browns secured a package from the Jaguars that included the 36th and 126th overall picks, along with a first-round selection in 2026. They also sent Jacksonville fourth- and sixth-round picks as part of the deal.
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The move generated immediate scrutiny given Hunter‘s unique value as a two-way player-an elite cornerback and wide receiver who had just claimed the Heisman Trophy with the Colorado Buffaloes in the NCAA.
While Cleveland did come away with more draft capital, the decision not to take the 23-year-old was viewed as high-risk considering his obvious talent that yielded 1258 receiving yards for 15 touchdowns; as well as 35 tackles (24 solo), four interceptions and 11 pass deflections.
Now the Browns have spoken up as their general manager, Andrew Berry, explains why they made such a bold decision ahead of Draft Day in Green Bay back in April.
“Entering the offseason, coming off of a disappointing year,” Berry said to CBS Sports’ With The First Pick. “And having uncertainty around the quarterback position as well as a core group of players.
“We knew we were due for a little bit of a strategic pivot. That could mean a variety of ways when you’re sitting with the No. 2 pick. Probably the most direct path is you take a young quarterback, hit on him. It’s the most important position in sports.
“One of the alternative paths is you take a non-quarterback, potentially the best player in the draft in Travis, someone the league really hasn’t seen before in terms of a two-way player.
“Then the third avenue, which you’ve seen teams like Philadelphia and Detroit walk this route, where you’re able to take a very good player, but significantly increase the amount of resources that you have to rebuild your team over a multi-year time horizon.”
Why did the Browns “trade away” Travis Hunter?
So the Browns had considered using the pick to take a quarterback, which could have been Cam Ward (now with the Tennessee Titans) or Jaxson Dart (now with the New York Giants) but they ultimately opted for a different path.
Ultimately, Berry framed the Browns‘ decision as part of a broader rebuild by allowing them to take in a larger sample of respected talent. As part of their haul, Cleveland used its acquired selections on a defensive tackle (Mason Graham) and two running backs (Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson).
While those picks add depth and talent, none possess the immediate star power of Hunter but their plan, intentionally or not, may be setting the stage for 2026 considering they now boast Jacksonville’s first-round pick in hand.
This news was originally published on this post .
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