The Jacksonville Jaguars surprised everyone on draft night by trading up to the second overall pick to select Colorado’s Travis Hunter. Most analysts expected the Browns to take Hunter at that spot.
Hunter made history before even stepping on the field. According to USA Today’s Nick Brinkerhoff, he became the first non-quarterback and non-No. 1 overall pick to receive his entire signing bonus upfront.
The deal includes a $30.57 million signing bonus paid immediately.
Hunter’s four-year contract totals $46 million, but with the upfront bonus structure, the total value reaches $76 million. The Jaguars clearly want to keep their versatile star happy from day one.
The team expects Hunter to focus primarily on defensive back duties initially. Playing both offense and defense is much harder in the NFL than college football. But Hunter isn’t backing down from the challenge.
“It’s never playing football again,” Hunter said. “Because I’ve been doing it my whole life, and I love being on the football field. I feel like I could dominate on each side of the ball, so I really enjoy doing it.”
Hunter missed the first day of rookie minicamp for what the team announced as his graduation ceremony. The situation turned out to be more complicated than expected.
Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today reported the full story. Hunter isn’t actually scheduled to graduate until December 2025, according to a Colorado athletics department spokesman. He attended the May ceremony in Boulder anyway to experience the moment before starting his NFL career.
Hunter values education highly. Having a degree gives him peace of mind if he ever decides to step away from football.
For now, though, he’s focused on proving he can handle two-way duties at the professional level. The Jaguars made a significant investment in that belief with their contract structure.
Hunter’s rookie season will determine whether Jacksonville’s gamble pays off. But financially, he’s already won before taking his first NFL snap.
