The NFL Draft went chalk — for all of one pick.
After the Tennessee Titans selected quarterback Cam Ward out of Miami with the first overall pick as expected, the Jacksonville Jaguars swung a shocking blockbuster trade to take two-way sensation Travis Hunter out of Colorado at No. 2.
The Jaguars sent a haul of picks — including next year’s first-rounder — to the Cleveland Browns to move up three spots in Thursday’s first round in Green Bay.
They then drafted Hunter, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, whose dual excellence as a wide receiver and cornerback made him one of the most unique prospects in NFL history.
Last season, Hunter totaled 1,258 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns on offense and four interceptions and 11 passes defended on defense.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry likened him to Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ hitting-and-pitching superstar, prompting speculation that Cleveland was honing in on Hunter.
But Jacksonville GM James Gladstone made an offer the Browns couldn’t refuse.
The Jags sent the No. 5 overall pick; a second-round pick and a fourth-round pick in this year’s draft; and their 2026 first-rounder to Cleveland for the No. 2 pick, plus this year’s fourth-rounder and sixth-rounder, according to ESPN.
The jaw-dropping trade pairs Hunter with quarterback Trevor Lawrence and bolsters a defensive backfield that had a glaring need at cornerback.
“I’m super excited to be able to go back home and be able to play for an organization that thought I was worth trading up to get,” Hunter, who hails from West Palm Beach, Fla., said on ESPN’s draft broadcast.
The Hunter stunner immediately followed a Titans pick that had been anticipated for weeks.
Lauded for his arm strength and big-play ability, Ward led the country with 39 touchdown passes and ranked second with 4,313 passing yards in his lone season with the Hurricanes.
Thursday capped a roller-coaster journey for Ward, who was a zero-star recruit out of Columbia High School in West Columbia, Texas, when he committed to Incarnate Word, the only school to offer him a scholarship. Ward spent two years at Incarnate Word and two more at Washington State before he transferred to Miami, which he led to a 10-3 record.
Ward is now tasked with leading a Titans team that just finished 3-14 — its third consecutive losing season — but that boasts a second-year head coach in Brian Callahan who has worked with Peyton Manning, Matthew Stafford and Joe Burrow at previous stops.
The selections of Ward and Hunter cleared the Giants to take touted Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter with the No. 3 pick. Most evaluators considered Hunter and Carter to be the only blue-chip prospects at premium positions in this year’s draft.
The New England Patriots drafted LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell with the No. 4 pick, while the Browns used the No. 5 pick on Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham.
That left sensational Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty for the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 6. Jeanty was a Heisman finalist after leading Division I with 2,601 rushing yards and averaging 7.0 yards per carry. He ran for 29 touchdowns.
The Jets bolstered their offensive line by drafting Missouri tackle Armand Membou at No. 7, and the Carolina Panthers took big-bodied Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan at No. 8.
The New Orleans Saints drafted offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. out of Texas at No. 9, while the Chicago Bears rounded out the top 10 by selecting Michigan tight end Colston Loveland.
The Giants, Browns and Saints were among the quarterback-needy teams who passed on QBs in the top 10 — most notably Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, who early in the offseason was considered a contender for the first overall pick.
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