JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s NFL draft week and the Jaguars are on the clock. The new regime in Jacksonville hasn’t given even the slightest hint on who they like or what they prefer, and that silence is likely a good thing.
If the buzz about Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty going fifth is to be believed (or it’s a smokescreen), the Jaguars have quietly created a market for their fifth pick and could stand to benefit from a team such as the Raiders or Bears making a move to trade up.
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Since Jacksonville’s entire front office and coaching staff makeup is new, there’s no clear history from which to draw from. That’s why the march to the start of the NFL draft Thursday night (8 p.m.) has felt a bit different in town this year.
General manager James Gladstone largely talked in nuanced terms and used catchy zingers like “intangibly rich” when he spoke during the team’s pre-draft media availability last week. Head coach Liam Coen is cut from the offensive coordinator fabric and would seem to lean toward a playmaker or even an offensive lineman pick.
So, with the morsels from Gladstone about “intangibly rich” players being what the Jaguars are looking for, who could they target?
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Jacksonville largely addressed one major weakness in free agency (the offensive line) but didn’t do anything to touch on its other (defensive line) in that same period.
That’s left the bulk of the mock drafts to connect Michigan All-American defensive tackle Mason Graham to the Jaguars at No. 5. The Jaguars have talented edge players in Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, but nothing of substance along the line. DaVon Hamilton hasn’t lived up to the hefty contract extension he signed in 2023. Second-round pick Maason Smith flashed in a small sample size late last year but wasn’t consistent. Expensive free agent signing Arik Armstead had one of the most underwhelming seasons of his career last year playing out of position.
Take all of that together and Graham, the consensus top defensive tackle in the draft, certainly fits at No. 5.
That’s been the chalk pick during much of the pre-draft process, including ESPN’s Mel Kiper giving Graham to Jacksonville in his latest mock. On Monday, The Ringer’s Todd McShay switched things up and said Arizona State receiver Tetairoa McMillan to the Jaguars at No. 5 is a possibility. Another player who has gained traction in a hurry to Jacksonville is Jeanty, who has pulled even with Graham in one sportsbook to be the fifth pick.
Fanduel still has Graham at the No. 5 pick at +100 odds (50% chance), ahead of Jeanty (+200 or 33.3%).
Jeanty doesn’t necessarily fit a need for the Jaguars (Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby are in those spots) but he may qualify as the best available player if the draft falls like its forecast (Cam Ward, Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter, Will Campbell, in some order in the top four).
It’s thought to be a deep draft at running back, but Jeanty is one of the highest-rated players in the field this year. Georgia edge Jalon Walker is another player who seems to fit the “intangibly rich” motto. He could get on the field this year and potentially be the long-term replacement for Devin Lloyd.
Graham has felt like the natural pick at the fifth spot for Jacksonville for most of the pre-draft process, far more than any other player. Teams drafting a hands-down defensive lineman in the top five have largely hit on those players.
Defensive tackles drafted in the top 5 since 1995
Pick No., Player, Team, Year
2. Darrell Russell, Raiders, 1997
2. Ndamukong Suh, Lions, 2010
3. Gerard Warren, Browns, 2001
3. Gerald McCoy, Bucs, 2010
3. Marcell Dareus, Bills 2011
3. Quinnen Williams, Jets, 2019
4. Dewayne Robertson, Jets, 2003
5. Glenn Dorsey, Chiefs, 2008
Since Jacksonville’s expansion season in 1995, there have been eight pure defensive tackles drafted in the top five.
Gerald McCoy (six Pro Bowls), Ndamukong Suh (five Pro Bowls), Quinnen Williams (three Pro Bowls) and Marcell Dareus and Darrell Russell (two Pro Bowls each) have headlined those defensive linemen selections in the top five. Gerard Warren, a Union County High School alum who went No. 3 overall to the Browns in 2001, didn’t pan out with the Browns but had an overall productive NFL career.
The Jaguars have drafted just two defensive tackles who have gone on to make the Pro Bowl, Marcus Stroud and John Henderson.
