The 2025 NFL Draft is approaching, and the Jacksonville Jaguars have the fifth overall pick. This is a breakdown of their team needs and potential players they could select in the draft, plus, an overview of their offseason so far and possible additions.
State of the Union
To say last year was a tough one in Duuuuuval is an understatement.
After two back-to-back 9-8 campaigns under Doug Pederson, the Jags limped to a 4-13 finish last season. Trevor Lawrence remains a question mark to capitalize on his potential. The defense took a massive step back. All of this adds up to the head coach and general manager Trent Baalke being canned. So, where to go from here?
A new coach and GM is a nice start. Liam Coen has some hype coming up north from Tampa Bay and will look to reinject life into Trevor Lawrence, who inked a massive extension over the summer. Brian Thomas Jr. looks like an absolute stud at receiver and the top target for T-Law for years to come. They have some high-end pieces on defense and flexibility with the salary cap after this season, plus the fifth-overall pick.
It’s something to build on. The question is, how do they go about building this, and how long will it take?
Free Agency Recap
Key Departures
G Brandon Scherff: Things never quite worked out for Scherff in Jacksonville. The five-time Pro Bowler in Washington finished his three-year, $49 million contract with the Jags with a whimper. Though he did start in 51 games, the cracks began to show with a 64.7 PFF grade. As Jacksonville looks to rebuild and go younger, it figures that the 33-year-old guard will be playing football elsewhere next season.
TE Evan Engram: This feels like another case of “thanks for the production, but your age unfortunately starts with a three”. Engram will take his talents to the Mile High City next year on a two-year, $23 million deal with the Broncos. The former first-rounder was resurgent over his first two years in Jacksonville, posting 766 and 963 yards, respectively (both career-highs), but a torn labrum held him to nine appearances last season. His production suffered with the rest of the offense cratering. It makes sense that new GM James Gladstone went in a new direction.
WR Christian Kirk: The 28-year-old receiver’s health and production correlate well with Jacksonville’s nosedive in the standings. The four-year $72 million deal he signed in 2022 was met with pause, but his 84-1,108-8 receiving line put concerns to bed… for a time. After playing all 17 contests in that first year, Kirk played in only 20 games over the next two seasons. Going into the last year of his deal at $16.5 million, the new management decided to ship him to the division-rival Houston Texans. Though younger than Scherff and Engram, this is another move that makes sense as this offense is remade.
Other Departures: TE Luke Farrell, S Andre Cisco, G Blake Hance, QB Mac Jones
Key Additions
CB Jourdan Lewis: Something needed to be done about the worst passing defense in the league last year. A premier nickel back won’t fix them overnight, but it’s better than nothing. After eight years in Dallas, Lewis comes to Duval County on a 3-year, $30 million deal. He’s fresh off a 71.7 PFF grade that placed him 36th amongst all cornerbacks last season. Lewis’ playmaking and strong tackling will bring some stability to this secondary, and at 29 years old, he should be able to perform for another couple of years.
G Patrick Mekari: Coming off his first full season as a starter, Mekari was rewarded by Jacksonville with a three-year, $37.5 million deal. He presents a solid replacement for the departing Scherff, and at 27 years old should have plenty of good football ahead. As a bonus, Mekari has experience all over the line. The former Raven profiles similarly to Jags’ left guard Ezra Cleveland, a 26-year-old who is stronger in pass protection than the run game, and this next acquisition.
C Robert Hainsey: Another 26-year-old who is stronger against the pass rush than the run. I’m noticing a trend here! Hainsey follows new head coach Liam Coen from Tampa Bay. He graded out as the ninth-best center this past season, including an elite pass protection mark of 81. Even on a new contract, Hainsey’s AAV of $7 million on his three-year deal is tied for 11th amongst centers, a bargain for tying together this offensive line. Between incumbent tackles Walker Little and Anton Harrison, the aforementioned Cleveland and Mekari, and new addition Hainsey, all five linemen project to be average to above-average. That’s some good stability in the trenches to protect Trevor Lawrence and form a foundation of the offense.
Other Additions: WR Dyami Brown, QB Nick Mullens, TE Johnny Mundt, S Eric Murray, TE Hunter Long, T Chuma Edoga
Team Needs
Secondary: Jourdan Lewis was a good start, but Jacksonville will need to hit the secondary hard in the upcoming draft. Their projected outside corners, Jarrian Jones and Tyson Campbell, posted PFF grades of 69 and 62.9, respectively. That’s fine for the young corners they are, but there’s little depth to be excited about. Christian Braswell is fine slot/nickel depth, but obviously, Lewis will take priority. The safety group is also horrifying. New signing Eric Murray figures to be the starter despite a rough season in Houston. Darnell Savage falls into the first-round pick (derogatory) category after being one of the worst regular starters last season. They’ll need to inject a lot of life into this group all over the board, and it won’t take just one draft to fix it.
Interior Defensive Line: The good news for Jacksonville is that their edge rushers look fantastic. Josh Hines-Allen is one of the better pass rushers in the game. Former top-overall pick Travon Walker recorded his second straight 10-sack season. The bad news is that the interior needs a makeover. The Arik Armstead acquisition hasn’t panned out as expected, as he was merely an average starter last year and is destined to be cut after this year, barring a huge turnaround. DaVon Hamilton and Jordan Jefferson weren’t much to write home about. Maason Smith, last year’s second-round pick, certainly has nowhere to go but up after his 43.7 PFF grade in his rookie campaign. A major addition here could turn this line into a solid enough group. That, in turn, can lessen the burden on the weak secondary.
Secondary Pass Catchers: Brian Thomas Jr. is a stud, no question about it. His 87-1,282-10 line opened a lot of eyes, representing 37% of his team’s passing yards. The issue was the other 63% as only one other pass catcher topped 400 yards. That would be former second-round pick Brenton Strange, who at times looked like a future starter, but he’s far from being a second option. Perhaps a healthy Gabe Davis can rebound, former sixth-round pick Parker Washington can step into a role, or new signing Dyami Brown can gobble up targets. My feeling is that the second passing option is not on this team yet. The draft is chock full of good receivers and some veteran free agents remain on the market. Jacksonville should take multiple stabs at receiver before next season begins.
Potential Draft Picks
DT Mason Graham, Michigan: The most popular mock draft choices typically make sense, and Mason Graham fits this Jacksonville defense like a glove. He doesn’t have the greatest athletic measurements, but man, does this guy have the goods. The former three-star recruit turned unanimous All-American wins through tremendous hustle, elite hands, and sheer strength. He turned in big clutch performances on the way to the 2023 CFP title and only got better the year after. He should excel both in the run and pass game as a true three-technique tackle. The trio of Travon Walker, Josh Hines-Allen, and Graham will create predicaments for offenses across the league if they can reach their full potential.
WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona: Without question my favorite receiving prospect in this draft, Tet would form an obscene receiving duo with Brian Thomas Jr. As a true sophomore, Tet posted 108 receiving yards per game and followed it up with 110 yards per game in an All-American junior year. He dominates at the point of catch with his 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame. He’s not exactly a burner with his 4.55 40-yard time, but I trust the absurd production and technique. There are bigger needs to address, like the defensive interior and secondary, but star talent is star talent.
T Armand Membou, Missouri: Again, there are bigger needs, and I heavily considered Will Johnson here to inject some star talent into the secondary. I’m sure Anton Harrison is a nice guy, and yes, he’s only two years removed from being a first-round pick. This line needs a stud to make a leap, though. Membou has the measurements, the pedigree, and the production as a natural right tackle. As if a 9.89 relative athletic score isn’t enough, he allowed zero sacks with a 90.4 PFF grade at Missouri. He made SEC pass rushers look like toddlers. An elite right tackle, a solid left tackle, and a strong interior offensive line could be a top-10 unit in the league. And, all five would be 27 years old or younger and under plenty of team control. Sign me up.
Day Two Targets: Walter Nolen (DT, Ole Miss), Luther Burden III (WR, Missouri), Tyleik Williams (DT, Ohio State), Trey Amos (CB, Ole Miss), Elic Ayomanor (WR, Stanford), Kevin Winston Jr. (S, Penn State), Elijah Arroyo (TE, Miami), Charles Grant (OL, William & Mary), Andrew Mukuba (S, Texas)
Day Three Targets: Shemar Turner (DT, Texas A&M), Lathan Random (S, Ohio State), Will Howard (QB, Ohio State), Smael Mondon Jr. (LB, Georgia), Omarr Norman-Lott (DT, Tennessee), Jaydon Blue (RB, Texas), Xavier Restrepo (WR, Miami), Jaylin Smith (CB, USC), Mello Dotson (CB, Kansas), Jackson Hawes (TE, Georgia Tech), Bryce Cabeldue (T, Kansas), Jah Joyner (DE, Minnesota), Dan Jackson (S, Georgia)
