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It won't be long before the Jacksonville Jaguars are officially on the clock to make their first selection of the James Gladstone era as the new general manager begins his career at the highest level.
The same can be said for head coach Liam Coen and executive vice president of football operations Tony Boselli, who are also in their respective roles for the first time in their careers.
Jacksonville has already addressed the floor of their roster, signing nine free agents to start their roster building in March and is set to address both the floor and ceiling during this year's NFL Draft.
This will, ultimately, set the tone for Gladstone and the rest of Jacksonville's brain trust for years to come. The 34-year-old general manager intimated in April that he wasn't afraid of that label.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE DRAFT: When is the NFL Draft? When do the Jaguars pick? Time, channel, draft order, more
“I think naturally, that's absolutely where your mind goes. We've had discussions on that subject a number of times," Gladstone said when asked about his first draft in Jacksonville, setting the tone for his tenure.
"Certainly feel really good about the pot of players right now that we're discussing, and that that would align with all the messages that we would like to send to the locker room, to our fan base, to the greater football landscape about who the Jacksonville Jaguars are going to be moving forward.”
It'll be a tone-setter draft class for Jacksonville and there are plenty of options to choose from and a slew of picks to utilize.
Here's when and where the Jaguars will pick in the NFL Draft, as of Monday, April 21. The Jaguars currently hold 10 selections in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Jaguars will have much to choose from when they get on the clock to select their fifth-overall pick. Barring a trade, the options for Jacksonville seem fruitful, though depending on what happens ahead of them, they could be sweet-bitter when the draft is all said and done.
Here are the nine possibilities for the Jaguars with the fifth-overall pick.
Note: The Jaguars could opt to draft someone not on this list, but the consensus top players are the group we chose from.
Hunter, 6-foot, 188 pounds, is a no-brainer pick and is the best player in this year's draft. During his collegiate career, Hunter switched between cornerback and receiver with ease, playing both positions on a full-time basis.
Hunter recorded 2,169 receiving yards and 24 receiving touchdowns during his career on offense. He also turned in an impressive 24 pass deflections and nine interceptions as a defensive back. He was the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner.
He's a consensus top pick and will likely be gone once the second-overall pick is in the books. The celebration within the Jaguars' draft room would rival a Super Bowl victory.
Carter, 6-foot-3, 250 pounds, would be another blue-chip player for Jacksonville to land. The franchise needs a difference-maker on defense and Carter would provide that instantly.
A similar player to Dallas' Micah Parsons, Carter can play both on and off-ball linebacker as he did with the Nittany Lions. His pass-rush ability would allow Jacksonville to utilize Travon Walker inside more to use his versatility to the best of their ability.
Carter's role can begin as a pass rusher before expanding his role into an every-down player early in his career.
Jeanty, 5-foot-8, 211 pounds, is the best offensive talent (maybe besides Hunter) in the draft. It's not close.
Last year at Boise State, the Jacksonville-born rusher totaled a staggering 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns. He touched the ball 397 times last year and was the offense for Boise.
Jeanty would give Jacksonville a true safety net for quarterback Trevor Lawrence, something Coen has expressed a desire for since he got to Jacksonville. While backs Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby have shown promise at various points in their career, the Jaguars shouldn't allow them to factor into their decision to take or not take Jeanty.
Graham, 6-foot-3, 296 pounds, is the most-mocked player to Jacksonville and has been since December.
His floor is high, a player who can immediately help the team's 24th-best run defense and free up Walker and fellow pass rusher Josh Hines-Allen to wreak havoc in the offense's backfield. Graham may seem like a "safe" pick for a group that doesn't appear to want to go with the grain, but Graham would set Jacksonville up for years to come.
He's graded as the top defensive tackle prospect, according to Pro Football Focus.
Walker, 6-foot-1, 243 pounds, is but shouldn't be known as a poor man's Abdul Carter. Walker is one of the most versatile players in the draft and offers on and off-ball ability similar to Carter.
In three years at Georgia (two years as a starter), Walker accounted for 89 total tackles (56 solos), 12.5 sacks, 19 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and one forced fumble.
Warren, 6-foot-5, 256 pounds, is another top offensive talent and has been compared to future Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski throughout the draft process for his size and ability to run as a true multi-threat tight end.
Warren is the consensus top tight end and won't get past the Colts at pick No. 14. Warren caught 104 passes for 1,233 yards and eight scores last year.
McMillan, 6-foot-5, 219 pounds, hasn't been mocked as highly as he was before after not running the 40-yard dash at either his Pro Day or the NFL Combine. Still, the big-bodied playmaker should be in play for Jacksonville at No. 5.
The Jaguars do not have a proven, healthy receiver besides Brian Thomas Jr. on the roster. Gabe Davis is still working back from in-season knee surgery and the expectations for his ability haven't been made known.
McMillan would give Jacksonville a sure-fire receiver opposite Thomas who can be a safety valve for Lawrence, especially after Evan Engram and Christian Kirk were jettisoned earlier this offseason.
Campbell, 6-foot-6, 319 pounds, is one of the top tackles in this year's draft and likely could play either tackle or guard at the next level. While critics have knocked Campbell for his 33-inch arms, his ability on tape stands out and his arm length isn't a problem.
The Jaguars could go this route, though it would leave them with many questions to answer including what happens with Walker Little, Anton Harrison or Ezra Cleveland, all of which are under contract for at least the next couple of years.
Membou, 6-foot-4, 332 pounds, is also considered the top tackle in this year's draft, depending on who you talk to. The three-year starter at Missouri showcased his immense talent with improvement each year.
According to PFF, Membou didn't allow a single sack and allowed just eight pressures on 392 pass-protection reps in 2024. In his career, he's allowed just three sacks and 23 total pressures.
Similar to Campbell, Membou's selection by Jacksonville would be a good one, but it gives pause to how the team wants to build its offensive line and how long the rebuild might take as they address other positions.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius.
If you're a subscriber, thank you. If not, please consider becoming a subscriber to support local journalism in Northeast Florida.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars NFL Draft predictions: Ranking best options at fifth-overall
Continue reading...
The same can be said for head coach Liam Coen and executive vice president of football operations Tony Boselli, who are also in their respective roles for the first time in their careers.
Jacksonville has already addressed the floor of their roster, signing nine free agents to start their roster building in March and is set to address both the floor and ceiling during this year's NFL Draft.
This will, ultimately, set the tone for Gladstone and the rest of Jacksonville's brain trust for years to come. The 34-year-old general manager intimated in April that he wasn't afraid of that label.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE DRAFT: When is the NFL Draft? When do the Jaguars pick? Time, channel, draft order, more
“I think naturally, that's absolutely where your mind goes. We've had discussions on that subject a number of times," Gladstone said when asked about his first draft in Jacksonville, setting the tone for his tenure.
"Certainly feel really good about the pot of players right now that we're discussing, and that that would align with all the messages that we would like to send to the locker room, to our fan base, to the greater football landscape about who the Jacksonville Jaguars are going to be moving forward.”
It'll be a tone-setter draft class for Jacksonville and there are plenty of options to choose from and a slew of picks to utilize.
How many picks do the Jaguars have in the draft?
Here's when and where the Jaguars will pick in the NFL Draft, as of Monday, April 21. The Jaguars currently hold 10 selections in the 2025 NFL Draft.
- Round 1 (5 overall)
- Round 2 (36)
- Round 3 (70)
- Round 3 (88) - trade from Minnesota
- Round 4 (107)
- Round 4 (126) - trade from Minnesota
- Round 5 (142)
- Round 6 (182)
- Round 6 (194) - trade from Seattle
- Round 7 (221)
What are the Jaguars' 2025 NFL Draft options with the fifth-overall pick?
The Jaguars will have much to choose from when they get on the clock to select their fifth-overall pick. Barring a trade, the options for Jacksonville seem fruitful, though depending on what happens ahead of them, they could be sweet-bitter when the draft is all said and done.
Here are the nine possibilities for the Jaguars with the fifth-overall pick.
Note: The Jaguars could opt to draft someone not on this list, but the consensus top players are the group we chose from.
Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado
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Hunter, 6-foot, 188 pounds, is a no-brainer pick and is the best player in this year's draft. During his collegiate career, Hunter switched between cornerback and receiver with ease, playing both positions on a full-time basis.
Hunter recorded 2,169 receiving yards and 24 receiving touchdowns during his career on offense. He also turned in an impressive 24 pass deflections and nine interceptions as a defensive back. He was the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner.
He's a consensus top pick and will likely be gone once the second-overall pick is in the books. The celebration within the Jaguars' draft room would rival a Super Bowl victory.
Abdul Carter, LB/EDGE, Penn State
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Carter, 6-foot-3, 250 pounds, would be another blue-chip player for Jacksonville to land. The franchise needs a difference-maker on defense and Carter would provide that instantly.
A similar player to Dallas' Micah Parsons, Carter can play both on and off-ball linebacker as he did with the Nittany Lions. His pass-rush ability would allow Jacksonville to utilize Travon Walker inside more to use his versatility to the best of their ability.
Carter's role can begin as a pass rusher before expanding his role into an every-down player early in his career.
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
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Jeanty, 5-foot-8, 211 pounds, is the best offensive talent (maybe besides Hunter) in the draft. It's not close.
Last year at Boise State, the Jacksonville-born rusher totaled a staggering 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns. He touched the ball 397 times last year and was the offense for Boise.
Jeanty would give Jacksonville a true safety net for quarterback Trevor Lawrence, something Coen has expressed a desire for since he got to Jacksonville. While backs Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby have shown promise at various points in their career, the Jaguars shouldn't allow them to factor into their decision to take or not take Jeanty.
Mason Graham, DL, Michigan
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Graham, 6-foot-3, 296 pounds, is the most-mocked player to Jacksonville and has been since December.
His floor is high, a player who can immediately help the team's 24th-best run defense and free up Walker and fellow pass rusher Josh Hines-Allen to wreak havoc in the offense's backfield. Graham may seem like a "safe" pick for a group that doesn't appear to want to go with the grain, but Graham would set Jacksonville up for years to come.
He's graded as the top defensive tackle prospect, according to Pro Football Focus.
Jalon Walker, LB/EDGE, Georgia
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Walker, 6-foot-1, 243 pounds, is but shouldn't be known as a poor man's Abdul Carter. Walker is one of the most versatile players in the draft and offers on and off-ball ability similar to Carter.
In three years at Georgia (two years as a starter), Walker accounted for 89 total tackles (56 solos), 12.5 sacks, 19 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and one forced fumble.
Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
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Warren, 6-foot-5, 256 pounds, is another top offensive talent and has been compared to future Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski throughout the draft process for his size and ability to run as a true multi-threat tight end.
Warren is the consensus top tight end and won't get past the Colts at pick No. 14. Warren caught 104 passes for 1,233 yards and eight scores last year.
Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
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McMillan, 6-foot-5, 219 pounds, hasn't been mocked as highly as he was before after not running the 40-yard dash at either his Pro Day or the NFL Combine. Still, the big-bodied playmaker should be in play for Jacksonville at No. 5.
The Jaguars do not have a proven, healthy receiver besides Brian Thomas Jr. on the roster. Gabe Davis is still working back from in-season knee surgery and the expectations for his ability haven't been made known.
McMillan would give Jacksonville a sure-fire receiver opposite Thomas who can be a safety valve for Lawrence, especially after Evan Engram and Christian Kirk were jettisoned earlier this offseason.
Will Campbell, OL, LSU
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Campbell, 6-foot-6, 319 pounds, is one of the top tackles in this year's draft and likely could play either tackle or guard at the next level. While critics have knocked Campbell for his 33-inch arms, his ability on tape stands out and his arm length isn't a problem.
The Jaguars could go this route, though it would leave them with many questions to answer including what happens with Walker Little, Anton Harrison or Ezra Cleveland, all of which are under contract for at least the next couple of years.
Armand Membou, OL, Missouri
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Membou, 6-foot-4, 332 pounds, is also considered the top tackle in this year's draft, depending on who you talk to. The three-year starter at Missouri showcased his immense talent with improvement each year.
According to PFF, Membou didn't allow a single sack and allowed just eight pressures on 392 pass-protection reps in 2024. In his career, he's allowed just three sacks and 23 total pressures.
Similar to Campbell, Membou's selection by Jacksonville would be a good one, but it gives pause to how the team wants to build its offensive line and how long the rebuild might take as they address other positions.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius.
If you're a subscriber, thank you. If not, please consider becoming a subscriber to support local journalism in Northeast Florida.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars NFL Draft predictions: Ranking best options at fifth-overall
Continue reading...
