After the Tennessee Titans tabbed Miami quarterback Cam Ward as the first overall pick of the NFL draft as expected, the Jacksonville Jaguars traded up from No. 5 to grab Colorado’s two-way star Travis Hunter with the second pick.
In addition to the second overall pick, which they used to select the 2024 Heisman winner, the Jaguars also received a fourth-round pick and sixth-round pick. The Browns received the No. 5 overall pick and selected Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham. Cleveland also received second- and fourth-round picks this year, and a first-round pick in 2026.
Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi said the franchise was almost certain Ward would be the pick before the NFL Scouting Combine in February, even before meeting the person, because of what they saw from him as a player.
“We pretty much had all the questions answered probably three weeks (before) the draft,” he said.
Ward passed for 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns, both single-season school records, last season at Miami, being named ACC Player of the Year. He began his collegiate career with two seasons at FCS Incarnate Word before transferring to Washington State, where he played two more seasons, before his final season at Miami.
“I knew I was going to be drafted pretty high,” Ward said. “I think I’m one of the best players in this draft, I’m deserving of this honour. But at the end of the day, draft pick don’t mean nothing. It’s all about how you produce on the field, the type of teammate you are in the locker room, and then it’s about wins.”
Jacksonville was the surprise mover, making the lone first-round trade in the top 20 under the guidance of first-year general manager James Gladstone. The 34-year-old said he kept the move under wraps, but couldn’t contain his jubilation on Thursday.
“There are players who have the capacity to alter a game,” Gladstone said of Hunter. “There are players who have the capacity to alter the trajectory of the team. There are very few players who have the capacity to alter the trajectory of the sport itself. Travis, while he has a lot to still learn, in our eyes has the capacity to do just that.”
At No. 3, the New York Giants selected Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter and moved back into the first round in a deal with the Houston Texans for Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart at No. 25.
The New England Patriots made a promised upgrade to the offensive line in front of 2024 No. 3 pick Drake Maye and welcomed LSU left tackle Will Campbell at No. 4.
Despite speculation other teams were angling to move ahead of the Raiders, Las Vegas held onto the No. 6 pick and went with Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who rushed for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2024. The Raiders were No. 32 in the league in rushing with 1,357 total yards and no ballcarrier with more than 420 yards.
The New York Jets selected Missouri offensive tackle Armand Membou with the seventh pick and the Carolina Panthers opted to provide quarterback Bryce Young with a big target, taking 6-foot-4 Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan at No. 8.
The New Orleans Saints also moved to bolster their offensive line, taking Texas offensive tackle/guard Kelvin Banks Jr. at No. 9. The Chicago Bears added a fourth top-10 offensive player since 2023 with Michigan tight end Colston Loveland at No. 10.
Atlanta trades pick to Houston
Georgia edge rusher Mykel Williams went to the San Francisco 49ers at No. 11 and Bulldogs teammate Jalon Walker stayed in-state to the Falcons with the 15th pick. Before Georgia safety Malaki Starks went to Baltimore with the 27th pick, Atlanta pulled back into the first round in a trade with the Houston Texans by sacrificing next year’s first-rounder to add a second SEC pass rusher, Tennessee’s James Pearce.
Alabama guard Tyler Booker landed with the Dallas Cowboys at No. 12. The Miami Dolphins also dipped into the Michigan talent pool, taking defensive tackle Kenneth Grant at No. 13.
The Indianapolis Colts grabbed another Big Ten tight end at No. 14, Penn State’s Tyler Warren.
Mississippi defensive tackle Walter Nolen went to the Arizona Cardinals at No. 16, and the Cincinnati Bengals tabbed the fourth edge rusher of the first round, taking Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart at No. 17.
Guard Grey Zabel from FCS champion North Dakota State went to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 18, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers snagged Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka with the next pick.
The Denver Broncos moved to upgrade their secondary with Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron at No. 20. The Pittsburgh Steelers followed with Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon.
Despite adding 2021 first-rounder Najee Harris as a free agent in March, the Chargers selected North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton at No. 22. Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden received a reception he’ll never match from the hundreds of thousands of Packers fans in attendance when he was announced as the No. 23 pick.
Super Bowl counterparts capped the first round with a handshake. The champion Eagles traded up one spot from No. 32 with the Chiefs and threw in their fifth-round pick, selecting Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell. Kansas City used the final pick in the first round on Ohio State left tackle Josh Simmons, who is returning from a season-ending knee injury he sustained in October.
Hunter, who followed coach Deion Sanders from Jackson State to Colorado, had 96 receptions last season for 1,258 yards, averaging 13.1 per catch with 15 touchdowns.
“My journey was just me being focused,” Hunter said. “I realized I only had a couple years to get to this moment, so I put all these years in and focused in and honed in on my goal.”
Jeanty finished his college career with 4,769 rushing yards and 50 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 80 passes in his career with six scores.
McMillan hauled in 213 passes for 3,423 yards in three seasons at Arizona with 26 touchdowns. Loveland had 117 receptions in three seasons for 1,466 yards with 11 scores.
Warren caught 153 passes for 1,839 yards and 19 touchdowns in his career with the Nittany Lions. Egbuka had 205 receptions for 2,868 yards and 24 scores with the Buckeyes.
