Just a few weeks ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars were on pace to get the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, their position has changed after a couple of games. Following the 32-27 loss to the New York Jets, they're trending toward the No. 4 selection. And if the Jags beat the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15, they'll move further away from the top selection, which will make it more difficult to take Travis Hunter.
A two-way star at Colorado, Hunter got the spotlight because he beat running back Ashton Jeanty, quarterback Dillon Gabriel, and quarterback Cam Ward in the race for the Heisman Trophy. All things considered, Hunter was worthy of the award.
After all, it's not often that you find players who play wide receiver and cornerback full-time, let alone one that does it at a high level. Sure, Ward, Jeanty, and Gabriel had fine seasons, but none were nearly as impressive as Hunter, who is trending toward being a top-5 pick in the draft.
The one thing that will make things interesting is that three of the teams slated to pick in the top 6 already have a quarterback: The Jags have Trevor Lawrence, the New England Patriots just drafted Drake Maye, and Bryce Young is showing promise for the Carolina Panthers.
That leaves the Las Vegas Raiders, the New York Jets, and the Tennessee Titans as teams who will potentially take a quarterback in the top 6. The issue is that the demand will outweigh the supply after Drew Allar announced that he'll return for his senior season at Penn State.
With Allar out of the mix, Ward and Sheuder Sanders are the top quarterbacks of the class. Both of them are likely to go in the top 5, which could give the Jags a favorable path to land Hunter (if that's the prospect they want).
What would it take for the Jaguars to land Travis Hunter in the 2025 NFL Draft?
If the Jacksonville Jaguars ended up with the fifth overall pick, they would need Cam Ward and Sheuder Sanders to go to the New York Giants and the Las Vegas Raiders with the first two selections. They would then have to hope that the New England Patriots, who currently hold the No. 4 pick, pass on Travis Hunter. That said, the Jags would have an easier path to the former Colorado Buffalo if they lose the Silver & Black in Week 15.
Las Vegas currently holds the No. 2 selection, but they'll move down in the draft order with a win over the Jaguars in Week 15. This is to say that Jacksonville would get a higher position in the first draft with a loss. Of course, neither team will try to actively lose, but the fact that the Raiders placed star edge rusher Maxx Crosby on Injured Reserve could tip the scale in the Jags' favor.
On the other hand, it won't be the end of the world for the Jaguars if they get a lower position in the draft. Even if they fall out of the top 5, they'll have no shortage of options. If they want to take a cornerback, Will Johnson should still be available. But if they want to get a receiver who can line up opposite rookie sensation Brian Thomas Jr., the team's brass can go after Tetairoa McMillan. In the worst-case scenario, they can move up a few spots to land their guy.
The bottom line is that beating the Raiders will make it more difficult for the Jaguars to target Travis Hunter, but even if they ultimately lose the swepstakes, they'll have a wide array of options.