Cleveland’s faithful woke up to what many are calling a franchise-altering blunder after the Browns traded away their No. 2 overall pick, effectively passing on two-way star Travis Hunter. Social media immediately erupted with rage as fans watched Jacksonville snag the Colorado standout, who dominated both sides of the ball in college with 15 touchdowns and four interceptions across 1,481 snaps in 2024.
Fans Flood Socials With Memes and Meltdowns After Browns Trade Down Instead of Drafting Travis Hunter
The trade sent Cleveland’s No. 2 pick along with a fourth-rounder (104) and sixth-rounder (200) to Jacksonville. In return, the Browns received the No. 5 pick, a second-rounder (36), a fourth-rounder (126), and a 2026 first-round pick. A package many fans believe falls devastatingly short of Hunter’s generational value as both a receiver and cornerback.
One viral post by BetMGM captured the collective mood with a meme featuring a disappointed fan captioned “The Browns: ‘Instead of drafting Travis Hunter we’ll just trade down and take an offensive lineman!’ Browns fans: ‘Okay. But that’s worse. You do get how that’s worse, right?'” The post has already garnered over 49,300 views, reflecting the widespread dismay.
The Browns: “Instead of drafting Travis Hunter we’ll just trade down and take an offensive lineman!”
Browns fans: pic.twitter.com/JqWgRKnSS6
— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) April 25, 2025
Fan forums have become virtual therapy sessions with r/Browns, a reddit community lighting up with frustration. “This is why we can’t have nice things” emerged as the top upvoted comment criticizing the front office’s apparent risk aversion.
Others lamented “Hunter could’ve been our Deion,” referencing his two-way potential now heading to Jacksonville. Many slammed the move as “Another analytics disaster,” reflecting deep skepticism of prioritizing draft capital over proven talent.
Hunter’s college dominance makes the fan outrage understandable. The Heisman Trophy winner and Unanimous All-American posted staggering numbers at Colorado with 68 catches for 1,142 yards and 15 touchdowns on offense while adding four interceptions, nine pass breakups, and three tackles for loss on defense.
His unprecedented workload of 1,481 total snaps (987 offense, 494 defense) showcased durability that had Cleveland fans dreaming of a transformative talent.
The trade reported on April 25 during the first round continues a pattern for a Browns franchise, which is still feeling the effects of the 2022 Deshaun Watson trade that cost three first-rounders. With Watson’s massive $64 million cap hit in 2025 limiting flexibility, the front office appears to be stockpiling assets to address multiple needs rather than securing one elite talent.
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With their newly acquired No. 5 pick, Cleveland chose Michigan DT Mason Graham to bolster the defensive line.
While Jacksonville’s GM James Gladstone demonstrated aggressive conviction by paying premium assets for Hunter’s two-way potential, Browns fans are left wondering if their team’s historical tendency to prioritize quantity over top-tier talent will ever deliver the championship contender they’ve waited generations to see.
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