Travis Hunter brought a rare two-way résumé to the NFL. With the 2025 draft now in the books, the story is no longer about predictions—it is about where the leading prospects landed, what made the class distinctive and what their early professional careers have shown.
The 2025 NFL Draft took place in Green Bay from April 24–26. Tennessee selected quarterback Cam Ward first overall, while the Jacksonville Jaguars traded up to choose Colorado star Travis Hunter at No. 2. Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter went third to the New York Giants. The final order changed the outlook for several franchises—and brought the biggest question about Hunter into focus: how much offense and defense can one elite player handle at the professional level?
Travis Hunter’s rare two-way résumé
Hunter entered the draft after one of the most unusual seasons in modern college football. At Colorado, he played extensively at both wide receiver and cornerback, and won the 2024 Heisman Trophy. The Heisman Trust records 92 receptions and 14 receiving touchdowns alongside 31 tackles and four interceptions. He also won the Walter Camp Award, Bednarik Award and Biletnikoff Award during that season.
Jacksonville moved up in a trade with Cleveland to secure the No. 2 pick. The Jaguars saw a player who could contribute in two premium roles, but his workload would require careful planning. Offensive route assignments, defensive coverage duties, recovery and weekly preparation all compete for the same limited practice and game time.
Hunter’s value is not simply whether he can play receiver or cornerback. It is how the Jaguars can use both skill sets consistently while protecting his health and keeping him effective late in games.
Where the top 10 picks landed
The first round reflected a mix of quarterback need, defensive playmaking and investment in the offensive and defensive lines. Here is the confirmed top 10 from the 2025 draft.
| Pick | Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cam Ward | Quarterback | Tennessee Titans |
| 2 | Travis Hunter | Cornerback / Wide receiver | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 3 | Abdul Carter | Defensive end / Edge | New York Giants |
| 4 | Will Campbell | Offensive tackle | New England Patriots |
| 5 | Mason Graham | Defensive tackle | Cleveland Browns |
| 6 | Ashton Jeanty | Running back | Las Vegas Raiders |
| 7 | Armand Membou | Offensive tackle | New York Jets |
| 8 | Tetairoa McMillan | Wide receiver | Carolina Panthers |
| 9 | Kelvin Banks Jr. | Offensive tackle | New Orleans Saints |
| 10 | Colston Loveland | Tight end | Chicago Bears |
The order is important when revisiting old draft predictions. Tennessee, not Jacksonville, had the first selection; Hunter went second, and Cleveland selected Mason Graham at No. 5 after trading the second pick to the Jaguars.
Cam Ward: Tennessee’s quarterback investment
Ward became the first overall pick after a productive final college season at Miami. Tennessee’s decision was a bet on his arm talent, mobility and ability to develop into a franchise quarterback. In his 2025 rookie season, Ward started all 17 games and threw for 3,169 yards with 15 touchdowns, according to the Titans’ official player profile. The next stage of his development is about turning flashes into steadier week-to-week production and limiting the mistakes that can stall drives.
Other first-round stories to watch
- Abdul Carter, Giants: New York selected Carter third, betting on his speed and pass-rush potential. His long-term impact depends on translating athletic tools into consistent disruption.
- Will Campbell, Patriots: New England used the fourth pick on an offensive tackle to strengthen protection for its young quarterback. The selection showed how valuable premium-line talent remains to a rebuilding offense.
- Ashton Jeanty, Raiders: Las Vegas chose the Boise State running back sixth overall. His draft position reflected the expectation that a dynamic runner could become a central feature of the offense.
- Tetairoa McMillan, Panthers: Carolina added a big-bodied receiver eighth overall, giving its passing game another option to develop with its young core.
- Colston Loveland, Bears: Chicago made the Michigan tight end the 10th pick, adding a versatile target who can work between the hashes and create matchup problems.
What Hunter’s rookie season showed
Hunter’s first NFL season provided a small but meaningful sample. The Jaguars’ official career profile records 28 receptions for 298 yards and one touchdown in seven games at wide receiver, plus 15 tackles and three passes defended in seven games at cornerback. A knee injury cut short his rookie campaign, so his early numbers should not be treated as a final verdict on the two-way experiment.
The lesson is about availability as much as potential. A player asked to absorb a larger workload than almost any peer needs careful workload management, strong depth behind him at both positions and a plan that can change week to week. Jacksonville’s challenge is to turn Hunter’s unusual versatility into a repeatable advantage without forcing him into more snaps than his body can sustain.
Early verdict: an intriguing class still taking shape
The top of the 2025 class offered several different kinds of franchise bets: Ward as a quarterback investment, Hunter as a rare multi-position talent, Carter as a potential defensive difference-maker and multiple teams strengthening the line of scrimmage. Those paths should be evaluated by role, health, development and team context—not by draft order alone.
Because these players are still early in their professional careers, definitive career rankings would be premature. The most useful approach is to track their snaps, production, availability and role over time, then revisit the class as the evidence grows.
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Sources and further reading
Updated October 27, 2026. This article is a retrospective of the 2025 NFL Draft and its early professional outcomes; player roles and statistics can change as the season progresses.
