Browns GM Breaks Down Decision to Pass on Travis Hunter, Trade Out of No. 2 Pick

The Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars pulled off the biggest trade of the 2025 NFL draft, with the Jaguars trading up to the No. 2 pick to take Heisman trophy-winning cornerback and wide receiver Travis Hunter.

The Browns traded the No. 2 pick, a fourth-round pick, and sixth-round pick to the Jaguars in exchange for the No. 5 pick, the No. 36 pick, the No. 126 pick, and a 2026 first-round pick.

Though the Browns received a number of picks back in the trade, and a highly-coveted first-round selection in next year's draft, they also raised eyebrows with their decision to pass on drafting Hunter, who many considered the best player in this year's draft.

In a joint interview with Jaguars general manager James Gladstone, Browns general manager Andrew Berry broke down Cleveland's decision to acquire more picks over drafting an incredible—and perhaps generational—prospect in Hunter.

"Entering the offseason, coming off of a disappointing year, and having uncertainty around the quarterback position as well as a core group of players ... we knew we were due for a little bit of a strategic pivot," Berry told Ran Carthon and Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports on theWith The First Pick! podcast. “That could mean a variety of ways when you're sitting with the No. 2 pick. Probably the most direct path is you take a young quarterback, hit on him. It's the most important position in sports."

Berry continued: "One of the alternative paths is you take a non-quarterback, potentially the best player in the draft in Travis, someone the league really hasn't seen before in terms of a two-way player. Then the third avenue, which you've seen teams like Philadelphia and Detroit walk this route, where you're able to take a very good player, but significantly increase the amount of resources that you have to rebuild your team over a multi-year time horizon."

To both accumulate resources and go through with the trade, Berry emphasized to Gladstone during trade discussions that they would only go through with the move if they were getting a significant return back. So far, the Browns have picked defensive tackle Mason Graham, running backs Quinshon Judkins, and Dylan Sampson with the picks they got back from the Jaguars.

"I remember telling James, 'we're in a position where we're probably gonna either take a quarterback or the best player in the draft.' For us to move off the pick, it's gotta be something significant that's gonna help our organization over the long run,” Berry said. "And James was serious because Travis is a really good player. I would be shocked if he's not a really good player for a long time in Jacksonville. For us, we felt like that was a real meaningful opportunity for us to get another very good player, but really replenish the resources we have to build the team over this year and next."

Following the trade, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that another factor in the swap was that the Jaguars still had a top-five pick. The Browns wanted to take either Hunter, Graham, or Abdul Carter in the first round, which trading with Jacksonville still allowed them to do.

Ultimately, the Jaguars got the player they were after, and the Browns received several picks they will use to try to rebuild the team into a contender. They will get to use the Jaguars' first-round pick next year as well, which they could potentially use to pick a quarterback they've long needed.