It’s been some time for the reason that Jacksonville Jaguars have been the speak of the NFL, however the Jags have been simply that this week.
Since transferring as much as take Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter at No. 2 general, the Jags have been on the forefront of the league’s discourse and rightfully so. Alongside Cleveland, the identical workforce Jacksonville traded picks to amass Hunter, the 2 usually woeful groups are proper on the focal point.
Of these two groups, one is getting far more constructive protection than the opposite. You may guess which is which.
With all that stated, we’re again to assessing winners and losers from the previous week’s draft. And it’s arduous to name Jacksonville something however a winner.
WINNERS
The Jacksonville Jaguars
It feels darn good to be a Jags fan proper now. After years and years of turmoil, it lastly appears that the Jags have turned a web page and are writing a constructive chapter of their historical past books.
By most accounts, the Jags had an incredible draft. Yahoo Sports activities gave the Jags an A for thier draft class. ESPN’s Mel Kiper gave the workforce a B. NFL.com’s Chad Reuter gave the workforce an A-.
A lot of the discourse surrounding the workforce’s draft revolves round the fee to maneuver up for Hunter, significantly giving freely subsequent 12 months’s first-round decide.
However basic supervisor James Gladstone comes from the “F*** Them Picks” period of Los Angeles Rams soccer. And giving Cleveland subsequent 12 months’s thirty second decide looks like a nice worth to pay for a participant who fairly actually has by no means been earlier than.
Trevor Lawrence
As for who particularly needs to be ecstatic over this week’s draft, it needs to be Trevor Lawrence.
Lawrence has a brand new No. 2 weapon on offense in Hunter, who Jacksonville coaches have stated will play lots of offense regardless of being a two-way participant. The franchise quarterback now additionally has an extremely quick operating again within the room in Virginia Tech’s Bhayshul Tuten. Tuten was clocked because the quickest RB on the mix and may very well be a type of Corey Grant-esque change of tempo again for the workforce to enrich Tank Bigsby.
Together with the offensive linemen added in free company, plus taking West Virginia guard Wyatt Milum, it lastly appears that the Jags are proving an sufficient framework round Lawrence. Took them lengthy sufficient.
James Gladstone
There was not a single different basic supervisor who displayed greater balls than Gladstone did in his first-ever draft as a GM. The Jags’ GM, who seems to be like he may not even be sufficiently old to drink legally, made a serious transfer within the first spherical and continued to wheel and deal picks all all through the draft. He drafted gamers with excessive upside and didn’t significantly attain on any gamers primarily based on some small metric or arm dimension conversations. Gladstone needed a man like Hunter and he received him.
In just some weeks on the helm, Gladstone has fully redefined the tradition of the Jags even as far as simply within the phrases he speaks. His messaging and actions are deliberate and he has a imaginative and prescient.
After the draft, he continued making strikes that he didn’t really feel snug making within the draft, like signing Emmanuel Ogbah. This was a banner weekend for the Jags and one that really makes the workforce look competent.
James Gladstone introduced Bhayshul Tuten’s identify as a precedence goal on Day 3 throughout his two interviews with the Jaguars to turn into their GM pic.twitter.com/08PYmloWYU
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) April 26, 2025
Brenton Unusual
Wager you weren’t anticipating to see this identify seem at the moment. However Unusual is a winner on this record as a result of the Jags didn’t draft a single tight finish, and didn’t make a transfer for anyone like Tyler Warren within the first spherical.
The jury, for a lot of, is probably going nonetheless out on Unusual and what he may be for Jacksonville. He has proven flashes and it looks like the entrance workplace and training employees are all in on him being TE1 on the town. It was most likely unlikely that the Jags ever would draft somebody like Warren after perhaps buying and selling again from 5, however Unusual positively needed to breathe a sigh of aid when he noticed that Browns brand change to teal early on Thursday.
LOSERS
The Cleveland Browns
This primary loser could also be biased, nevertheless it does seem to be the Browns had a bizarre draft, proper? They drafted two quarterbacks and used their commerce again to choose 5 to draft a defensive sort out that doesn’t encourage jersey gross sales or renewed fandom.
Gladstone went and robbed the Browns blind on the first alternative he received. That sort of transfer would by no means have been made if somebody like Gladstone weren’t within the constructing in Jax.
Now, the Browns are pressured to navigate one of many strangest quarterback rooms in fashionable NFL historical past alongside a reasonably forgettable first-round choice in Mason Graham – who was predicted by virtually all people to come back to Jacksonville.
You may even throw the Tennessee Titans on this similar boat as Cam Ward might need been one of the forgettable No. 1 general picks in recent times, due partially to the foregone conclusion of him going to Tennessee and partially as a result of commerce that occurred instantly afterwards. This tweet from 2018 is so humorous to take a look at at the moment.
I really like what the @Browns have accomplished this offseason but when im a younger QB ain’t no approach im going to Cleveland. I might pull a ELI MANNING If attainable. #ThinkAboutthat #Fact
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) March 13, 2018
Drafting inside defensive linemen
A lot for drafting Graham. The pondering by most was that Jacksonville was going to draft Graham to buff up a poor inside D-line room. As an alternative, the Jags received a two-way playmaker and drafted a few edge guys like Jalen McLeod out of Auburn alongside the signing of Ogbah.
At this level, no followers ought to have any purpose to not belief Gladstone’s course of so perhaps he sees one thing all of us will not be in a position to. With Arik Armstead again inside and extra minutes for gamers like Maason Smith, there needs to be a lot better manufacturing from that inside group we noticed final 12 months.
This excerpt from Jacksonville’s ESPN reporter Michael DiRocco sums all of it up:
Normal supervisor James Gladstone stated the workforce didn’t need to attain for a participant on the place. But it surely’s additionally an indication the brand new regime feels adequate about younger DTs Maason Smith and Jordan Jefferson bettering in 12 months 2, in addition to the increase they hope to obtain from transferring Arik Armstead again inside from finish. It could be a raffle, however Smith did come on sturdy on the finish of final season
Travis Etienne Jr.
It could seem that the Run ETN days in Jacksonville are coming to a detailed. Such is life as an NFL operating again in at the moment’s period.
Bigsby confirmed final 12 months he is usually a commanding again when given the proper alternative, and the Jags went forward and drafted two operating again,s together with one that ought to instantly play in Tuten. The workforce drafted operating again Kielan Robinson final 12 months as effectively and he may present some depth when wholesome.
Etienne’s contract is up after this 12 months. It appears loopy to assume they might need to prolong him presently. It isn’t a lot about what Etienne has accomplished or not accomplished, however extra so primarily based on the cheaper choices which can be ready within the wings behind him.
Mamas, don’t let your infants develop as much as be operating backs, or no matter Waylon Jennings stated.