Jaguars GM James Gladstone’s passionate rant may have tipped their Travis Hunter hand

James Gladstone’s deal to bring Travis Hunter to Jacksonville will be judged in years, not in days.

The 34-year-old Jaguars general manager does, however, get some points for confidence after his speech introducing Hunter to Jacksonville media.

“As we sit here, Travis Hunter is a Jacksonville Jaguar,” Gladstone told reporters. “And what really comes to mind for me, right, thinking about the sport of football and the power of the game itself, it is the capacity to ignite belief. Belief in ourselves, belief in others, belief in achieving what many deem is impossible. 

Travis Hunter celebrates being the No. 2 overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Getty Images

“Travis Hunter, he embodies belief. He is a rare person, he is a rare player. But he is also a reminder that the boundaries of football were built to be challenged. And so the decision to select him was actually a statement. A statement for how we plan to move, who we are.

“And we want him to be nothing more than himself. 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 have been hunting up. Couldn’t be more jacked up to be sitting here right beside him and introduce you to the man of the hour.”

After that Don Draper pitch, the massive package Gladstone gave to Cleveland, including the No. 5 overall pick, the No. 36 overall pick and the No. 126 overall pick in this draft, plus Jacksonville’s first-round pick next year, seems reasonable.

Hunter, who was widely seen as the most talented player in the draft, is a unicorn because of his ability to play both wide receiver and cornerback at a high level.

James Gladstone speaks during the 2025 NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on February 25, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Getty Images

It does seem like the Jaguars will play Hunter on both sides of the ball, though it’s not clear what his snap count will look like on defense.

“He’s somebody who is deserving of a first-round draft pick as a wide receiver and he is worthy of a first-round draft pick as a corner,” Gladstone said. “Certainly look forward to each of those elements showing themselves over the next few years while he’s under his rookie contract. But yeah, we’re excited about just getting him in the boat, so to speak.”