Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) hauls in a reception against Kansas City Chiefs safety Bryan Cook (6) and defensive back Chamarri Conner (27) during the third quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars edged the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28.

The jury is still out on who won last spring's blockbuster trade that allowed the Jacksonville Jaguars to land reigning Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. Early returns, however, are tilting in the Cleveland Browns' favor.

The Jaguars made Hunter a centerpiece of its rebuild. First year general manager James Gladstone moved from the fifth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to the second in order to give first year head coach Liam Coen a dynamic playmaker who could affect the outcome of a game from either side of the ball. Hunter didn't come cheaply, however.

Jacksonville shipped the fifth and 36th overall picks in that year's draft north, along with a 2026 first round selection and a swap of fourth rounders for the right to land Hunter and a 2025 sixth-rounder. Hunter has shown flashes of brilliance as a rookie, largely on the offensive side of the ball. He broke out for eight catches, 101 yards and his first NFL touchdown in Week 7 against the Los Angeles Rams. Unfortunately for the Jags, that's the last time they'll get him on the field this season.

A non-contact injury suffered in practice left Hunter's ACL intact but required surgery to repair another ligament, the LCL. He'll be off the field for an estimated six months before returning to offseason activities next spring. That's a brutal blow for Jacksonville in 2025 -- and beyond.

The 2026 first rounder Cleveland gleaned in the deal is currently slated to be a top 20 pick, but the Jaguars have slumped badly since their 4-1 start. They've lost three of four games since then, and while they're 1-1 without Hunter the lone win came over the woeful Las Vegas Raiders, in overtime, in a game where Jacksonville needed to stop a late two-point conversion to hang on for a win. Though only four of the team's remaining eight games are against teams that currently have winning records, it's reasonable to wonder if Gladstone and Coen can push this team to a playoff bid even in an uneven AFC South.

Hunter's absence will be felt, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Trevor Lawrence has struggled through 2025 and been done few favors from his receiving corps; Jacksonville's 9.8 percent dropped pass rate is the worst in the NFL; no other team clocks in above seven percent. Brian Thomas Jr. is working through injury and has been unsteady when healthy. The Jags have thrown for more than 250 net yards just twice this season. One of those games was the 35-7 blowout loss in which Hunter had his finest game as a pro.

That leaves the pick Jacksonville owes Cleveland dangling on a precipice. The Browns badly need reinforcements, especially at quarterback. Week 10's loss to the New York Jets gave the franchise some leverage in its quest to lock down 2026's first overall pick. But being able to deal away the Jaguars' Day 1 selection would be additional ammunition in case the team needs to trade up to find its preferred target. The Browns are currently penciled in for the fourth overall selection, though that's affected by an early bye (a 2-8 Cleveland team would be in the second spot when it comes to draft order next spring).

While Hunter would have boosted a limited receiving corps in Ohio, the player the Browns selected instead at No. 5 has shown flashes of high level play -- see his 15 percent pressure rate last week against the Jets. More importantly, his explosiveness and athleticism in the middle of the line means fewer double-teams and chips on Myles Garrett. Garrett has responded with 11 sacks and 17 tackles for loss, both tops in the NFL. Though Graham lacks gaudy counting stats, he's been a rising tide up front.

The player Cleveland drafted 36th overall, Quinshon Judkins, took the field late after a contract standoff and domestic violence charges that were later dropped. He's put up a near-1,200 rushing yard pace in eight games and his 96 rushing yards over expected (RYOE) are eighth-best in the NFL. The Hunter trade has already net two franchise building blocks for the Browns and another high-value asset lurks on the horizon.

This doesn't mean the Hunter trade was a bad deal for Jacksonville. We were just beginning to see what he was capable of before disaster struck. Fitting a truly unique two-way player like him was always going to be a challenge for any NFL team, and right as Coen seemed to be figuring it out he was forced back to the drawing board. But between his first 100-yard receiving performance and a 68.3 passer rating allowed in modest defensive reps (162 snaps, 18 targets), it's clear his superstar potential carried over from the NCAA ranks.

For now, however, this deal is leaning toward a rare smart decision in Cleveland. In yet another lost season for the Browns, a silver lining has emerged.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: The Browns' decision to avoid Travis Hunter is paying dividends

Reporting by Christian D'Andrea, For The Win / For The Win

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