With the 2025 NFL Draft formally accomplished. the Jacksonville Jaguars have added 9 new rookies to the roster, finishing their inaugural draft class. On the conclusion of day three, common supervisor James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen met with the media to debate the present roster and the continuing free company course of for the franchise.
Right here’s every part you must know from Gladstone’s and Coen’s draft wrap up media availability:
Full Media Availability – Day 3:
The draft is full, however the roster construct continues
The Jaguars at the moment have a league main 22 projected undrafted free agent roster spots accessible, per OverTheCap – tied with the Baltimore Ravens, post-draft. With no defensive tackles added to the roster, Gladstone was requested in regards to the incapacity so as to add to that place group.
“I feel brief reply to that’s the board at all times falls sure methods. You’re not going to achieve due to what may be a perceived want. So you’re at all times going to take the gamers that you just really feel like are going to place the crew in the very best curiosity shifting ahead. You don’t wish to ever form of lean closely into only one thought of greatest participant accessible and want. It’s some model of balanced dynamic that comes with that.
He then confirmed that the undrafted free agent additions have been accomplished (pending official reporting). Nonetheless, with the roster at the moment sitting at 88 gamers, per Gladstone, the crew can be investigating in professional free company to probably fill that roster spot.
“So, I do suppose you’ll see us make some strikes right here within the close to future that can, in truth, tackle that. Clearly, our undrafted faculty free brokers haven’t been introduced, however these positions had been definitely near crammed there, and we’ll look in the direction of the professional free agent panorama as effectively.”
Gladstone’s Guys
Early into his media availability, James Gladstone was requested about his prior feedback confirming that fourth-round RB Bhayahui Tuten out of Virginia Tech was a “day three precedence addition” talked about throughout his offseason interview. Tuten was taken with decide 104 on day three. His different two precedence additions had been linebacker Jack Kiser out of Notre Dame, taken in spherical 4 (decide 107) and heart Jonah Monheim out of the College of Southern California, drafted in spherical seven (decide 221).
Working again by committee incoming?
As Gladstone intimated, just like the plan for Liam Coen’s 2024 Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster, the plan for the operating again room won’t move solely by means of one operating again. When discussing the addition of Tuten, Gladstone had made the next remark (emphasis mine):
“I have to say as soon as Tuten ran that 40, I don’t know that I’d have guessed that he can be accessible on Day 3, however nonetheless, he discovered himself there taken off fairly rapidly at 104. So we had been jacked to have the ability to be in that place to prioritize him as a result of on the finish of the day we wish to degree up the competitors throughout the whole thing of the roster, and operating again is a spot that we’re going to lean on. As Liam can in all probability allude to, it’s so hardly ever only a one-person spot. It’s going to take a collective effort, similar to the draft did. We sit up for the group as a complete along with LeQuint [Allen, Jr.] coming in and making this factor as rounded because it presumably might be.”
Totally different offensive construct than Tampa Bay
With the additions from this draft and professional free company lessons, specifically WR Travis Hunter, RB Bhayahui Tuten, and WR Dyami Brown, Coen was fast to notice the purposeful construct of this explosive offense in Jacksonville and the way it different from his time in Tampa.
“Yeah, I feel we’ve undoubtedly addressed the flexibility to strike from a distance. I feel that that’s one thing that we simply struggled to do some bit in Tampa, the place you ended up having to go 10, 12-play drives loads. It was environment friendly, proper, however finally, you’re trying to be as explosive as you’ll be able to in each the run and the move. I feel that was undoubtedly addressed in each professional free company and the faculty draft panorama. Don’t suppose we’ve so as to add any extra at this level.”
Jalen McLeod’s versatility as a move rusher is vital
For consecutive years, followers of the Jaguars have been clamoring for the addition of edge depth behind Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker. A lot of these followers might have been shocked to see a second day three linebacker chosen with no additions on the third edge spot. Nonetheless, McLeod is way, rather more than your prototypical off-ball linebacker, as Gladstone mentioned.
“I feel you guys can in all probability see this throughout numerous the gamers that we chosen, particularly on the defensive aspect of the ball, however the versatility. That’s one thing that basically stands out for us, and clearly we talk about being intangibly wealthy. His competitiveness, his play demeanor, his urgency is phenomenal, and you’re taking him, one other who was deployed throughout the defensive entrance at Auburn, stood up off the ball. When he went to the Senior Bowl, all he did was arise off the ball when the most effective parts of who he’s being moved from one spot to the following and offering a spark, having the ability to achieve an edge, a change of tempo, dashing off the sting. That was one factor that he signed as much as do on the Senior Bowl and wasn’t batting an eye fixed at the truth that, hey, I don’t get to showcase what so many would name my superpower, however I’m going to do that anyway as a result of I really like this sport, and I really like getting out on the grass.”
Sixth-round draft decide Jalen McLeod out of Auburn is a dominant move rusher, successful 18.8% of his move dashing reps in 2024.
With the 194th decide, the Jacksonville #Jaguars choose Jalen McCleod – ER, Auburn.
McCleod’s 18.8% Cross-Rush Win % ranked twelfth amongst Energy-5 edge rushers with 200+ snaps.
He was additionally PFF’s eighth ranked pass-rusher. pic.twitter.com/dgCHuUW2ov
— Daniel Griffis (@DanDGriffis) April 26, 2025
Draft prospect offseason participation issues to this management group
Moreover, Gladstone famous the significance of the Senior Bowl and the All-Star Circuit all through this offseason course of, because it allowed the employees a better, hands-on skill to seek out these intangibles he traditionally searches for.
“That added publicity from the All-Star circuit, it’s definitely one thing we leverage, attending to see them all through the week of practices after which within the sport setting. So most of the guys which are prepared to do greater than what the norm may be, proper? Many are tapping out earlier than they ever get to the sport. To see any person like Jack Kiser decide in to enjoying a place like security when he’s, in truth, an inside linebacker, when that might make him look worse than he would love however was productive in that setting.
Gladstone later continued…
“Yeah, I feel a lot of it’s rooted within the movie. On the similar time there’s boots on the bottom, so to talk, who do, in truth, work together with the gamers, work together with the coaches who had been there and sources who had been there. That may be a effectively from a background and character and contact level with the participant, however the movie is de facto the place I’m speaking about that analysis being significant for us. It’s definitely one thing as a result of it’s greatest towards greatest, among the high prospects towards the opposite high prospects, it definitely has a spot. It’s one which we prioritize, that’s for positive.”
In future drafts, this may occasionally probably be one thing to regulate, for participant curiosity/choice traits.
What are your ideas on the Jaguars 2025 draft class, Duval? Tell us within the feedback!