Your one-stop shop for Jacksonville Jaguars news, opinion, and analysis.
Good morning!
Here is today’s roundup of the latest news, rumors, and analysis on your Jacksonville Jaguars.
Apologies for not getting this column up yesterday. Today’s post will cover news since Friday.
Local chatter
Jaguars 2024 NFL Draft: Final draft results and full rookie class (Big Cat Country)
“For me, a football team is made up of many parts,” Doug Pederson added. “I think this is a great example of the guys we got, there’s different positions here, there’s different body types, skill sets, all of that, and they’re all guys that can come in and compete. So that’s what I’m excited about, and starting from the top all the way down, there’s talent here, guys that we had focused on, and as obviously as Trent has said, the way things fell, it worked out really good.”
Jaguars 2024 NFL Draft: Best highlights for all nine rookies (Big Cat Country)
“You’re excited,” general manager Trent Baalke said of the group. “You’re excited for them. When you talk to them on the phone and hear their excitement and the family’s excitement in the background, you know they’re coming here and they’re going to give you everything they’ve got and that’s all we can ask. Then we figure it out from there.”
Jaguars 2024 NFL Draft: Doug Pederson and Trent Baalke talk rookies (Big Cat Country)
“We had a good beat on where those guys [top three WRs] were going to go, and they pretty much went where we felt like they were going to go. The price to move up into that territory would’ve been really steep. It wasn’t an option, if one of them would’ve slipped a little further, maybe you do it. We just didn’t feel they were going to get into our range and they didn’t get into our range.”
Jaguars 2024 NFL Draft: Top takeaways from each rookie’s media call (Big Cat Country)
“Growing up, my favorite wide receiver would have to be Julio Jones, just growing up and watching him do the things that he can do. I was kind of bigger, so I was trying to model my game after somebody who had my body type. I would say Julio Jones, he was my favorite player, or one of my favorite players; my favorite wide receiver growing up.”
Jaguars 2024 undrafted free agent tracker (Big Cat Country)
“It’s hectic,” general manager Trent Baalke said on Saturday. “The guys are working. We’ve got a pretty good plan, a real good plan. The coaches and the scouts are working together right now. You’re making a million calls, you got 32 teams reaching out to these young men and they’re trying to make a decision. We’ll get back there and find out exactly where we’re at.”
Winners and losers from Jaguars 2024 draft (Big Cat Country)
According to Sharp’s metrics, the Jags had the second-worst draft class in terms of total value (ahead of only the Michael Penix Jr.-drafting Falcons). Many of the picks were “reaches” in the sense they were mocked further down the line than where they were drafted, thus creating less value. The thought process from the Jags was to get explosive athletes in the building, regardless of where they were predicted to go.
Jaguars 2024 NFL Draft: Ranking each pick by how soon they’ll play (Big Cat Country)
Jarrian Jones could see time at nickelback as early as Week 1. He will have to play behind Darnell Savage, but Jones easily could come off the bench in the early weeks in a package or two.
Did the Jaguars ‘fleece’ the Vikings in their Round 1 trade? (Big Cat Country)
Jacksonville gets a pat on the back for acquiring extra draft capital, i.e. extra swings at the plate. That Thomas Jr. still ended up in teal is the cherry on top, though it was also a calculated move by Baalke. He slid back six slots knowing that none of the teams picking from no. 18 to 22 were likely to select Thomas Jr. (the Rams and Dolphins were rumored to be interested in a first-round receiver, albeit specifically Xavier Worthy).
How did local media grade the Jaguars’ 2024 NFL Draft class? (Big Cat Country)
Trent Baalke noted the “drop-off” between “The Big Three” wide receivers at his Pre-Draft Availability. Not sticking-and-picking Thomas at No. 17 tells me he got the value he wanted as well as the wide receiver he wanted — and of note: he and Doug Pederson were the big Thomas fans, compared to others on the coaching staff and in the front office.
How did national media grade the Jaguars’ 2024 NFL Draft class? (Big Cat Country)
My favorite galaxy-brain move of the draft was the Jaguars’ trade down that netted them the equivalent of an early 4th-round pick, while still managing to add Brian Thomas at great value. Thomas has rare length, speed, and ball tracking. That combination led to a college football high 17 TDs as a 20-year-old junior.
Jaguars to pick up fifth-year options for Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne (Big Cat Country)
The Jaguars selected Lawrence and Etienne in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft (picks no. 1 and 25, respectively). With their options now picked up, the former Clemson teammates are now under contract through 2025.
11 players were signed as undrafted free agents immediately following the draft, and two more were invited to Jacksonville’s rookie minicamp (May 10-11) to essentially try out for the team. One of those players is Jacksonville State center Trey Brown; the other is five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Jarvis Landry.
Reacts Survey results: Jaguars fans approve the Brian Thomas Jr. pick (Big Cat Country)
We asked Jacksonville Jaguars fans to grade the team’s selection of Brian Thomas Jr. after trading back from 17th overall to 23rd overall.
3 things to know about Brian Thomas Jr. (Big Cat Country)
Cajun through and through, Brian Thomas was born and raised in Walker, Louisiana, a small city in Livingston Parish approximately 30 minutes east of Baton Rouge. Walker may only have a population of 6,138 (well, 6,137 now – welcome to Duval County, Brian!), but it’s growing – by approximately 28% in the last ten years.
Jaguars have 18th best odds to win Super Bowl 2025 (Big Cat Country)
To me, the Bengals and the Packers are a bit undervalued while the Lions and the Falcons are a bit overvalued. Middle-of-the-pack feels fair for Jacksonville, but considering how many swings they took in their rookie class, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them shoot up or down around midseason.
Building the Jaguars: Inside the Strategic Moves of the 2024 NFL Draft (Jaguars.com)
“We’re very happy with the picks we’ve been able to make,” Jaguars assistant General Manager Ethan Waugh said. “The overall thing we were trying to accomplish in this draft was to get bigger, to get faster, to get stronger.
Three questions about the Jaguars’ roster following the 2024 NFL draft (Jags Wire)
With the potential to sign additional free agents and quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s anticipated mega-contract extension left to be accomplished, it’s fair to wonder if Jacksonville will part ways with [Zay] Jones in the coming months to create cap space. His post-June 1 release would yield $7,735,294 in cap savings and $3,017,334 in dead cap money in 2024.
2024 NFL draft: Best picks, top steals in every round (ESPN)
The Jaguars didn’t draft an edge rusher other than seventh-round pick Myles Cole, whom GM Trent Baalke called a developmental player. Trevis Gipson was signed in March, but he had seven of his 11 career sacks in 2021. The team didn’t bring back Dawuane Smoot or K’Lavon Chaisson, and the only other edge rusher on the roster is second-year player Yasir Abdullah, who played 45 snaps in 2023. The Jaguars had better hope Allen and Walker stay healthy.
2024 NFL Draft: Ranking 9 Biggest Reaches From This Year’s Class (The 33rd Team)
Maason Smith had just 9.5 tackles for a loss in 22 games at LSU with no forced fumbles and only two pass deflections. There were times during the 2023 season when he was the third-best interior player for LSU, and he would go weeks without making a splash play. His size is fantastic (6-foot-5, 306 pounds), but his lackluster production and average athleticism are more in line with a borderline top-100 pick vs. the No. 48 selection.
It’s worth noting new Jaguars defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen is a protege of former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron, who recruited [Maason] Smith to Baton Rouge. Former Tigers defensive coordinator Matt House is also now on the Jacksonville staff too. One of the concerns about Smith is he plays high; he needs to play with better pad level and become more physical.
“He is a boom-or-bust,” an NFL D-line coach told me earlier this month. “In his defense, there is still a lot of football in him. He’s played 976 snaps in three years. 17 starts. He’s got everything you want.”
2024 NFL Draft team-by-team rankings: Best and worst classes, from 1 to 32 (The Athletic)
I was underwhelmed by the Jaguars’ draft haul in Rounds 2-7, but I love what they did in Round 1, trading back and adding a high-ceiling receiver. After the Jaguars lost Calvin Ridley this offseason, they reexamined their options and were able to land Thomas, who has both size and speed. His route running is a work in progress, but that is due more to inexperience than lack of ability or know-how.
2024 NFL Draft’s best scheme fits: Caleb Williams, Quinyon Mitchell, and more (The Athletic)
The Jaguars needed to draft a receiver after losing Calvin Ridley in free agency and Thomas may fit their offense better than Ridley did. As a rookie, Thomas might not be as productive as Ridley, who caught 76 passes for 1,016 yards last season, but he gives the Jaguars a true big-body X receiver who can stretch the field. Ridley was miscast in that role last season. He struggled to get off press coverage on the outside and win consistently on fade routes — two skills that Thomas specialized in at LSU.
National links
Raiders sign ex-Cowboys WR Michael Gallup to one-year deal worth up to $3M (NFL.com)
Eagles sign ex-Jets OT Mekhi Becton to one-year deal (NFL.com)
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce agrees to terms on two-year extension (NFL.com)
Patriots DT Christian Barmore agrees to four-year extension worth up to $92 million (NFL.com)
Cowboys, RB Ezekiel Elliott agree to terms on reunion (NFL.com)
Jets trade veteran DE John Franklin-Myers to Broncos (NFL.com)
NFL to give players option to wear Guardian Caps during regular-season games (NFL.com)
Inside the 2024 NFL draft’s strange 14-pick offensive frenzy (ESPN)
Philadelphia Eagles tie NFL draft record with eight trades (ESPN)
Roger Goodell idealizes 18-game NFL schedule, Super Bowl on Presidents’ Day weekend (The Athletic)
Jason Kelce heading to ESPN for ‘Monday Night Countdown’ pregame show role: Sources (The Athletic)
The NFL Hot Read: Why Did Offense Dominate the 2024 NFL Draft? (The Ringer)
Editor’s pick
With the Michael Penix and Bo Nix Picks, the NFL Has Entered a New Era of QB Chaos (The Ringer)
The world of quarterbacking has sacrificed its static nature for dynamic experimentation. Brock Purdy can supplant Trey Lance with eight weeks of play. Cousins can sign for $45 million a year and watch his replacement get drafted a month later. Anthony Richardson and Jayden Daniels can run their way to top-five selections. Bo Nix can go no. 12. Penix and Nix might be Hall of Famers or total busts or anything in between—we won’t know till later. But what we know for sure is they were drafted in the absolute earliest range imaginable.
Must-see media
If you watch one thing today, watch @JarrianJones’ reaction to being drafted @Dream_Finders | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/lwzbQT05W7
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) April 27, 2024
Daily poll
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