While the Jacksonville Jaguars were seemingly setting their sights on running back Ashton Jeanty ahead of the NFL Draft, speculation emerged one day before the event that they could make a splash move and potentially trade for Travis Hunter. Now it's confirmed that they were the only club that made a strong effort to acquire the No. 2 overall pick, which they used to select the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner.
Iran Rapoport of NFL Media made an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show and said that Jacksonville was the only team that made a strong push to trade for the second overall pick. "As far as I can tell, well, I think there was a another team made kind of an initial call, but as far as I can tell, the Jaguars are the only team that made this like real significant concerted effort to try to get to No. 2," Raport said when asked if other teams tried to trade for the second overall selection.
"This was a really fascinating one, apparently, and one of the GM said this, they've been talking for two weeks. I found out about this potentially on, I think it was either Tuesday or Wednesday, I was told the Jaguars are gonna do something bold. Rapoport continued, "Don't be surprised if it's offense, but they're gonna do something bold.
And so I'm like, bold, all right, so that means maybe Jeanty or maybe Tetairoa Macmillan. That's kind of what I'm thinking. And then I'm starting to hear that teams are calling up to No.
2 and 3. And I'm like, the only reason you, I mean, with all due respect to Abdul Carter was awesome, like, Hunter would be the guy you'd probably trade up for, I think. Most people thought there was two super elite players in the draft.
It was Carter and it was Hunter." "So I'm like, if the Jaguars are going to be bold, if they're going to do something on offense. If someone's calling up to two, it's got to be the Jaguars.
And I basically spent the next day trying to figure out, which I think by like Thursday morning, it was pretty clear that the Jaguars are going to trade up. And it was a fun, fascinating trade. I can't wait to look back at it, but I've never had more people on both sides say, 'I can't believe they did this.'
This is crazy." Rapoport reported one day before the draft that the Jags were preparing to make a bold move. As he told McAfee, he wasn't truly sure what that meant, but hours before it started, chatter about them trading for the No.
2 ramped up. Below's the exchange. "As far as I can tell the Jaguars were the only team that made a real significant effort to get to number two..
There was another team that made an initial call but it didn't go anywhere.. Apparently the Jaguars and Browns had been talking for two weeks" ~ @RapSheet #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/HuZdiYbtdk — Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 28, 2025 The Jaguars did a great job of conceiling their Travis Hunter strategy The Jacksonville Jaguars did a great job of keeping their draft strategy and their plan to trade up for Travis Hunter close to the vest. It all started with general manager James Gladstone, who had a clear vision and didn't deviate from it.
Sure, teams and reporters might not have liked the dearth of leaks, but it allowed the Jags to stick to the plan. Had other clubs found out, Jacksonville may not have been able to put it into action. Of course, it will take a few years to find out whether the Jacksonville Jaguars truly aced the NFL Draft, but nobody can argue that James Gladstone's execution was flawless.
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