Entering Day 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns held the No. 2 overall pick, and there was a clear expert consensus on who their target should be.
The allure of two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter was impossible to ignore, with many viewing him as a future All-Pro defensive back with the chance to reach that level as a wide receiver, too.
Any team picking near the top of the draft could use a player with Hunter’s high-end versatility, and the Browns were no different. They left 2025 free agency with Jerry Jeudy as their most accomplished wide receiver, and were clearly looking to move on from cornerback Greg Newsome II.
Andrew Berry and the Browns passed on the shiny new toy and executed a blockbuster draft-day trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The move allowed the Jaguars to move up and select Hunter with the No. 2 overall pick, while netting the Browns a treasure trove of draft capital, including Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham at No. 5 overall, running back Quinshon Judkins at No. 36 overall, and a first-round pick in 2026.
Many crushed the Browns for missing out on a potential generational talent, but they’ve quietly been on the winning side of that deal from Day 1. A recent 2025 re-draft from CBS Sports makes the trade look more like a fleecing.
Browns just got more proof their Travis Hunter trade was right
To be fair, Hunter’s rookie season was more of an incomplete than a failure. He suffered a torn LCL in his right knee and underwent season-ending surgery in November.
It’s not a great look for Jacksonville, though, that its offense improved drastically following a midseason trade with the Raiders for wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. The Jaguars went 9-1 following Hunter’s injury, quickly signed Meyers to an extension, and are reportedly planning to use Hunter full time on defense, with a part-time role on offense, starting in 2026.
The Browns, meanwhile, got steady returns from Graham, who started all 17 games as a rookie and made noticeable strides as a pass rusher from Week 10 on. Per Pro Football Focus, he generated 23 of his 36 QB pressures over that span.
Blake Brockermeyer, a former NFL player turned college football analyst for CBS Sports, gave Cleveland the ultimate compliment when he ranked Graham over Hunter in his recent 2025 re-draft. He had Graham going to the Green Bay Packers at No. 23 overall, and Hunter going to the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 32.
He also had quarterback Tyler Shough, who emerged late in the season for the New Orleans Saints, going to the Browns at No. 5. The bigger what-if might be wide receiver — and reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year — Tetairoa McMillan, or breakout tight end Colston Loveland.
The Browns did, however, land a stud of their own in linebacker Carson Schwesinger, who Brockermeyer has going at pick No. 12 in his re-draft. You could also argue that tight end Harold Fannin Jr. belongs on the first round borderline, so Cleveland definitely broke even.
Berry’s 2025 draft was a resounding success, but his bold trade with Jacksonville is looking more brilliant by the day.