‘That’s Insane’ — Former NFL Scout Rips Jaguars’ Front Office For Giving Up a Massive Haul To Draft Travis Hunter

For months leading up to the NFL Draft, Travis Hunter was mocked to teams like the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, and New England Patriots. No one expected the Jacksonville Jaguars to jump the line — but that’s exactly what happened. In a bold move, Jacksonville traded up to land the Colorado star cornerback and wide receiver.

It was flashy. But was it smart? Not everyone thinks so, especially a pair of well-known NFL analysts who had strong words about the cost of the move.

Former Scout Calls Out Jaguars’ Decision To Trade Up for Travis Hunter

During the April 25 episode of the “Colin Cowherd Podcast,” NFL experts Colin Cowherd and John Middlekauff tore into the Jaguars’ decision to go all-in on Hunter.

"Unless he's a Pro Bowler on both sides of the ball, it feels like way too much to give up"@ColinCowherd and @JohnMiddlekauff don't like the Jaguars trading up for Travis Hunter pic.twitter.com/8KaOp8ynrC

— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports)

“Cleveland got a haul. I think way too much for a non-quarterback,” Cowherd said. “The GM for the Jags is a young kid, so this is the adult table being a GM. I don’t like the swing. Travis Hunter is a great player, but unless he’s a Pro Bowler on both sides of the ball, it feels like way too much to give up. I think Cleveland clearly did it to get ammo for next year’s quarterback draft.”

Middlekauff agreed: “I think it’s the easiest trade that Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski will ever make. I’m with you. How can you make this trade when you don’t know your team? That’s insane to throw away your next year’s first-round pick. I think it’s one of the craziest draft-day trades I can remember for a non-quarterback.”

Cowherd added: “I’m trying to remember the last time I got three texts from NFL employees, and all went ‘mistake by the Jags.’ I don’t like it at all.”

Their reaction underlines just how big a gamble this was. The Jaguars are betting that Hunter becomes a franchise cornerstone. If he doesn’t, this trade will be picked apart for years.

Hunter NFL Draft-Day Trade Details Will Ripple Into 2026

Moving up in the first round is always costly — and this deal was no different. While results won’t be clear for a while, the exchange of picks was steep.

The Browns traded the No. 2 overall pick to Jacksonville and received the No. 5 pick, the Jaguars’ 2025 second-rounder (No. 36), a 2025 fourth-rounder (No. 126), and a 2026 first-round pick.

The Jaguars, in turn, received the No. 2 pick to grab Hunter, along with Cleveland’s 2025 fourth-rounder (No. 104) and a 2025 sixth-rounder (No. 200).

That’s a lot of future draft capital riding on one star prospect.