Cole Pepper
In his first draft decision as a General Manager, James Gladstone swung for the fences.
Gladstone, the 34-year-old General Manager for the Jacksonville Jaguars, engineered a draft day trade to select the top prospect in the draft, Colorado’s cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter.
The Jaguars began the night with the fifth pick in the draft. With the two top prospects, Hunter and Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter, unlikely to fall to No. 5, Gladstone got on the phones. After Tennessee took Miami quarterback Cam Ward with the top pick in the draft, Jacksonville finalized a trade with Cleveland for the second overall pick.
If Hunter fulfills his enormous potential, the trade could be worth it, but the Jaguars gave up a lot to move up three spots.
Jacksonville sent the fifth pick in the draft to Cleveland in addition to the Jaguars’ second-round pick (No. 36), a fourth-round pick (No. 126) and the Jaguars’ first-round pick next year. The Jaguars moved up in the fourth round, receiving pick No. 104 and a sixth-rounder, No. 200.
Had the Jaguars not traded away next year’s first-round pick, the pressure might be different on Hunter. Now, he’ll have to prove that he is worth two first-round picks and a second-round pick.
After the trade, the Jaguars have two picks remaining on Day 2, both in the third round. Then, Day 3 will see the Jaguars with seven remaining picks, two in the fourth round, one in the fifth, three in the sixth and one in the seventh.
Ever since he was introduced in his new role, Gladstone has been saying that he would look to add players who are “intangibly rich.” He has never fully defined that term, but intangibles like physical and mental toughness, internal motivation and dedication to physical and mental preparation would seem to be among the traits Gladstone is looking for.
Hunter’s tangible traits are easy to see. He is an ultratalented athlete with a rare opportunity to impact on both sides of the ball. A few great cornerbacks who also impacted on defense in college, like another former Heisman Trophy winner, Charles Woodson, or Hunter’s college coach, Deion Sanders, excelled on defense while dabbling on offense as professionals.
“Travis, in fact, as a player, is rare, but as a person, he’s also rare,” Gladstone said. “Beyond that, when we say that the idea of inviting people into our ecosystem who, by being nothing more than who they are, elevate the space, is the epitome of what Travis is. We’re not going to ask him to be any more than him, because by doing so, he elevates not only this football team, not only this city, but the sport itself.”
Hunter will forever be tied to Gladstone’s hip. In the process of swinging the biggest draft day trade in Jaguars’ history, the two will be linked for good or bad.
The selection also brings Hunter back to his home state. He was born in West Palm Beach before moving to Georgia in eighth grade.
“The moment means a lot to me and my family,” Hunter said. “Last night I was looking at some houses, so I had a feeling, and about a week ago I was talking to my agent, and I was thinking this is a possibility.”
The Jaguars had needs at cornerback, wide receiver, defensive line, offensive line, and safety heading into the draft. Hunter can potentially fill the first two, so expect the Jaguars to address the lines of scrimmage and defensive back positions as the rest of the draft unfolds.
