Miami (AFP) – The Tennessee Titans took University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward as the first pick in Thursday’s NFL Draft, while the Jacksonville Jaguars pulled a surprise move, trading up to take two-way star Travis Hunter. The annual allocation of NFL rights for top college talent was held in front of thousands of fans gathered outside Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the home of the Green Bay Packers. The Titans were handed the top draft spot ahead of Cleveland at second and the New York Giants picking third, after all three finished an NFL-worst 3-14 last season.
Ward, a 22-year-old from Texas, completed 305 of 454 passes for 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns with only seven interceptions and ran 60 times for 204 yards and four touchdowns for the Hurricanes last season. “The hard work that I put myself through, just the unbelievable work ethic that I have, I just always had faith,” Ward told ESPN.
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But that pick, widely expected, was quickly overshadowed by the Jaguars trading for Cleveland’s number two pick in order to secure Hunter. The cornerback and wide receiver won the Heisman Trophy last year after his outstanding performances on offense and defense for the University of Colorado. Such two-way players are rare in the NFL, and in college, Hunter was coached by one of the best known, former Dallas Cowboys star Deion Sanders.
“There are players that you can target and acquire who alter the trajectory of a game. There are players that you can target and acquire that alter the trajectory of a football team,” Jaguars general manager James Gladstone told a news conference. “There are very few, and it’s rare to be able to target and prioritize a player who can alter the sport itself. And Travis is somebody that we view has the potential to do that. Obviously, there’s a lot for him to learn as he steps into the NFL, but we view him through the lens of unique, and it’s exciting for us to be able to add someone to this organization who by being nothing more than who he is, elevates the space around him,” he added.
In order to get Hunter, Jacksonville handed the 2025 number five overall pick and a 2026 first-round pick in a trade which also involved a number of lower round picks. The New York Giants used the third pick to take Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter and then traded back into the first round to snap up Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart at number 25. Giants coach Brian Daboll said after the pick that 36-year-old Russell Wilson will be their starting quarterback when they begin off-season workouts.
The New England Patriots took Louisiana State University’s offensive tackle Will Campbell with the fourth pick. The Browns used the fifth pick they gained from Jacksonville to grab defensive tackle Mason Graham out of Michigan. Colorado quarterback Shadeur Sanders, son of Deion, was tipped by many media outlets to be a high pick but was not taken in the first round.
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