The Jacksonville Jaguars raised eyebrows when they traded up in the 2025 NFL Draft to select Travis Hunter second overall. The pick itself wasn't bad. After all, the two-way star was the highest graded receiver and corner of his class. The issue was that the Jags paid a hefty price to acquire him, a 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 first-round pick.
If Hunter lives up to expectations, the Jaguars won't complain about the haul they had to give up. That said, they could have used the picks to fortify other position groups, which is precisely what they do in ESPN's latest 2025 draft do-over.
The Jaguars pick Jihaad Campbell to be Devin Lloyd's heir apparent in ESPN's 2025 NFL Draft redo
In ESPN's 2025 NFL Draft do-over, the Jags don't have to trade up for Travis Hunter but still manage to land him at No. 5. They get to keep their second-round pick, the 36th overall, which they use on Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell. Here's the skinny.
"The Jaguars weren't planning on re-signing Devin Lloyd, and his big season likely hasn't changed that since he'll garner interest in free agency," Michael DiRocco of ESPN wrote. "Plus, the team wants to move on eventually from Foyesade Oluokun."
The Philadelphia Eagles originally picked Campbell 31st overall last year. He had an impressive 2025 campaign, registering 80 total tackles, an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Not surprisingly, the New Jersey native made the PFWA's All-Rookie team.
In Jacksonville, Campbell would have probably had to sit one year behind Devin Lloyd and Foyesade Olukoun. Then again, he would be ready to step into a starting role in 2026.
As DiRocco noted, the Jags didn't exercise Lloyd's fifth-year option on his rookie deal because he hadn't lived up to expectations in his first three NFL seasons. It wasn't until defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile took over in 2025 that the former Utah Ute put it all together.
Under Campanile's tutelage, Lloyd registered a career-best five interceptions and earned a Second-Team All-Pro designation. Now, he's scheduled to become a free agent and will have no shortage of suitors if he's available.
Jihaad Campbell would give the Jaguars a perfect replacement for Devin Lloyd
Right now, the odds of Devin Lloyd staying in Jacksonville don't look great. The Jaguars wouldn't have to worry about him leaving if they had Jihaad Campbell in the fold. Moreover, they would still have their first-round pick in 2026.
For the sake of the argument, let's say the Jaguars will make a strong push to re-sign Lloyd. Spotrac gave him a contract valuation of $20 million per year in free agency. Even if he only gets an annual average of $16 million or $17 million, that's money the team's brass could allocate to address the larger scale roster. Position groups such as cornerback, the pass rush, and defensive tackle could most definitely use a boost.
Of course, short of traveling back in time and telling general manager James Gladstone not to trade up for Travis Hunter, there's nothing the Jaguars can do right now. Then again, Gladstone surely envisioned this scenario when he pulled the trigger, so he should have no trouble dealing with the challenges that come with it.