Regrading the Travis Hunter trade: Did Browns easily win this deal with Mason Graham?
Cleveland capitalized on extra draft capital to build a deep core led by Mason Graham, while Jacksonville has seen limited returns from its two-way superstar
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If we ignore Shedeur Sanders being selected at No. 144 overall, the story of the 2025 NFL Draft was the trade that took place just minutes into the event. New general manager James Gladstone of the Jacksonville Jaguars decided to make a splash by sending a package of picks to move up to No. 2 overall for Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.
Gladstone found a willing trade partner in Andrew Berry of the Cleveland Browns, who accepted a second-round pick, a fourth-round pick and a future first-round pick to move down three spots in the draft order. He also gave up a fourth-round pick and a sixth-round pick. With his new first-round pick at No. 5 overall, Berry took a defensive tackle out of Michigan. It was hard to imagine that player having the kind of impact a Heisman winner would.
The Jaguars drafted Hunter with the goal of him being a two-way player, as he starred at both cornerback and wide receiver during his time at Jackson State and Colorado. Hunter, the cornerback, won Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2024, while Hunter, the receiver, won the Biletnikoff Award. During that season, Hunter caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns, and made 36 tackles to go along with 11 passes defensed and four interceptions.
"He's a rare person," Gladstone said last year. "He's a rare player. But he's also a reminder that the boundaries of the game of football we built to be challenged. We want him to be nothing more than him – because when he is, he elevates the space around him – from the football field, to the city, to the game of football itself.
"Travis Hunter is who we've been hunting up."
Now that we are over one year removed from this trade, and all the players involved in the deal have played a few games, let's attempt to regrade it. First, here are the results:
Browns' haul
| Pick | Player selected |
|---|---|
No. 5 overall | DT Mason Graham |
No. 36 overall | |
No. 126 overall | |
2026 first-round pick (No. 24 overall) |
Jaguars' haul
| Pick | Player selected |
|---|---|
No. 2 overall | WR/CB Travis Hunter |
No. 104 overall | |
No. 200 overall |
The big difference between the general managers involved in this trade is that one believed there was a player available worth taking at No. 2 overall that could revolutionize their team if not the sport of football altogether, while the other did not. Berry and the Browns decided to accept Jacksonville's offer and move down, acquiring additional draft capital.
Browns grade: A
DT Mason Graham
No. 5 overall pick Mason Graham didn't look like a defensive tackle worth a top-five pick during his rookie season, as he recorded 49 tackles and half a sack with seven tackles for loss in his 17 starts. However, he has completely flipped the script in 2026.
Through the first three games of his second season, Graham has recorded 15 tackles and a whopping four sacks. Those four sacks are tied with Defensive Player of the Year favorite Will Anderson Jr. for second in the NFL. Graham actually became the first Browns player to record a sack in each of the first three games of a season since ... Myles Garrett in 2019, according to CBS Sports Research. He's been fantastic this year, and looks like a defensive tackle potentially worth selecting that high.
RB Quinshon Judkins
The former Ohio State running back has rushed for just 124 yards through three games in his second season, but did suffer a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle in December. Before that injury, Judkins racked up 998 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns in 14 games played as a rookie.
Fellow rookie running back Dylan Sampson also showed some juice, recording 446 total yards and two touchdowns in his first season. He was named SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2024 after leading the conference in rushing yards (1,491) and rushing touchdowns (22) during his final season at Tennessee. Sampson was unfortunately placed on injured reserve last month after suffering a knee injury during a kick return.
WR KC Concepcion
The rookie Concepcion earned First Team All-SEC honors in three different categories last year: As a wide receiver, returner and all-purpose player. That alone indicates he's a Swiss Army Knife. Concepcion recorded 919 yards receiving, nine receiving touchdowns and 456 punt return yards for Texas A&M last year and could end up being a key playmaker in Todd Monken's offense. Through three games, he has caught 12 passes for 80 yards.
It's clear that the Browns have won this trade, and at some point, teams should be wary of handing Berry extra draft capital. Say what you will about the Browns' record on the field, but Berry is one of the best drafters in the NFL.
Browns' 2025 rookie class highlights
| Player | Accomplishments |
|---|---|
DT Mason Graham | Started in all 17 games |
Defensive Rookie of the Year | |
RB Quinshon Judkins | Sixth-most rushing yards (827) by a rookie in Browns history |
TE Harold Fannin Jr. | Seventh-most receptions by a rookie TE in NFL history (72) |
QB Shedeur Sanders | Pro Bowl alternate |
Jaguars grade: C-
CB/WR Travis Hunter
Through 10 career games, Hunter hasn't been the generational two-way player Gladstone envisioned. As a rookie, his usage differed from week to week. Out of seven games played, there were two where Hunter played at least 50% of defensive and offensive snaps, and one game where he played 87% of offensive snaps. He cleared 60% of defensive snaps played in just two games.
Prior to Week 8, Hunter suffered a torn LCL in practice and was placed on injured reserve. Still, he caught 28 passes for 298 yards and one touchdown, and made 15 tackles with three passes defensed in those first seven games. Hunter became the first player to play 150 offensive snaps and 150 defensive snaps in the same season since Mike Furrey in 2009, and the only player since 2000 to have 200 yards receiving and 10 tackles in a single season.
Entering 2026, it was rumored that Hunter would be playing more cornerback -- although the Jaguars refused to walk back the claim that he would be a two-way player. His usage became a major storyline through two games, when Hunter played fewer than 60% of defensive snaps in Weeks 1-2, and fewer than 11% of offensive snaps in each game as well. Then, Week 3 happened.
Hunter played 71.4% of defensive snaps and 8.1% of offensive snaps this past Sunday and recorded four tackles, one pass defensed and his first career interception! It was one of the highlights from the Jaguars' dominant 35-6 victory over the New England Patriots.
Through 10 games, Hunter hasn't been a superstar -- or even a star, for that matter. But he's on track to be a solid starter for this Jaguars team that has Super Bowl hopes this year.
RB Bhayshul Tuten
As a rookie, Tuten recorded 386 yards from scrimmage and seven total touchdowns. It was good enough for the Jaguars to feel comfortable letting Travis Etienne walk in free agency. Through three games this season, Tuten has recorded 240 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. He's reached 65 yards rushing in each game.
There were some analysts, including myself, who believed the Jaguars' rushing attack would experience some regression with Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr. as the lead backs. However, through three weeks, the Jaguars rank in the top 10 in the NFL with 119.3 rushing yards per game.
Safety Rayuan Lane III is the other part of this trade. The reserve defensive back has played in 20 games with zero starts and recorded 23 tackles and 1 pass defensed.
The Jaguars receive a "C-" on the regrade because their aggressive swing in 2025 hasn't paid off ... yet. Tuten looks like a legitimate playmaker and there's still time for Hunter to develop into a star player. We all know he's capable.
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