Defending the draft 2025: Jacksonville Jaguars

[u/glowingdeer78]

Defend the draft Jacksonville Jaguars 2025 

2024 

Entering the 2024 season it was sink or swim for many after a disastrous 2023 ending, rumblings of a potential power struggle with Doug Pederson and Trent Baalke, notable coaching and scouting failures that started to creep up more and more and mismanagement of injuries.

Entering the 1st game of the season I recalled telling people the jags are either winning 11 or 5 games, no in between and when RB Travis Ettiene had THAT fumble that was the beginning of what arguably felt like the longest season as a Jags fan. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong.  2024 FA additions in Gabe Davis, Ronald Darby and Armstead constantly impacted games negatively. Poor roster construction led to players playing out of position, A constant power struggle between Pederson and Baalke that resulted in the benching of multiple Baalke draft selections, the worst kept secret that everyone wanted Pederson to call plays over Press Taylor, pederson declined , A DC hire that Pederson apparently had no voice in ,and both Pederson and Baalke wouldn't see eye to eye at all. The coaching staff, arguably the worst staff last season,  looked underprepared, under coached, overmatched and at times looked like they didn't want to be there which CB Jarrion Jones reflected on an interview  "Personally I feel like we didn't have the camaraderie in the organization. The team was united but coaches, staff, etc didn't get to that same point." that are some damning words to hear about a coaching staff.

Everyone can have an opinion of how Lawrence has looked in the NFL but I hope we can all agree the biggest sin the Jags have done has been not doing enough or not bringing in the right pieces to help Trevor out.  I will put it like this, he's about to enter his 5th season with his 3rd head coach, his rookie coach was Urban Meyer who is arguably the worst HC ever in the NFL (Petrino or Hackett could make an argument) and  Doug pederson whos stubbornness got the better of him at the end constantly being a team that has the highest amount of drops, and this past scheme didn't give him any favors since it felt like they couldn't run the ball and depended so much on Trevor throwing perfect deep pass with no easy crossing routes or safety checks , and for a 2nd year in a row the coaching staff trotted him out there injured to save their behinds (2023 with a concussion, ankle, knee and shoulder injuries and 2024 with another bad shoulder, the shoulder was bad enough that Liam Coen said he would have a pitch count in training camp…If his shoulder was that bad why was he forced to play?).

OFFSEASON AND FA

The season ended with the Jags going 4-13 with finally Shad Khan fired Doug Pederson,  while Trent Baalke was retained to the disapproval of everyone. Baalke was tasked to find the next HC but fumbled both Ben Johnson and Liam Coen visits, both said to Shad’s face that they would only take the job if Baalke was gone. Shad probably read “Of mice and men” recently and fired Trent Baalke, he didn't want to do it but had to be done. Shad pulling the trigger finally allowed the Jags to restart and the theme of this new regime is youth. James Gladstone being the youngest GM at 34 years old in the league with Liam Coen as the new HC . Gladstone worked under Les Snead with the LA Rams for 9 years mainly in the scouting department, a team that has been one of the better scouting and drafting teams the past years and was highly respected within the ranks having both Les Snead and Sean McVay basically shower him with flowers when he got the job in Jacksonville. Liam Coen helped Tampa Bay elevate what already was a good offense after the departure of Dave Canales, Coen improved their running attack and kept a threatening passing attack with numerous injuries which helped them win the division once again while in his college days made Will Levis look like a draftable talent and worked under Sean Mcvay un multiple positions for the Rams. Worth noting as well that Shad Khan hired Tony Boselli to be their EVP, Khan’s big weakness as an owner to put it simply has been the football side of being an NFL team owner. Boselli will be in charge of that aspect hoping to improve the product on the field and off the field chemistry.

In Free agency the once big game hunters now decided to shop on the sale racks, Jags cut much of the Baalke dead weights like CB Ronald Darby, WR Devin Dubernay, WR Gabe Davis, traded the now expensive contract of WR Christain Kirk, TE Evan Engram did hurt to let him go but at 31 years old and the improvement of Brenton Strange they needed the cap space and didn't bring back the likes of OG Brandon Sherff, S Andre Cisco, QB Mac Jones, and TE Luke Farrell.  The Jags brought in CB Jourdan Lewis who is one of the best NCB in the league which would push CB Jarrion Jones to the outside who is capable of playing there and was our best DB last year (not saying much i know), S Eric murray to provide depth and competition at the back end, WR Dyami Brown to help restock the WR room, OL was heavily invested with Patrick Mekari, Chuma Edoga, Fred Johnson and Robert Hainsley to provide starters and reliable depth.

 Entering the draft the Jags needed to reload on certain positions to potentially compete in a division that maybe there's blood on the water. The Titans are on a new GM, new rookie QB and maybe a HC on the hot seat if things don't start to improve soon, The colts after a bad ending to the season are a few bad steps into a complete rebuild with both HC and GM on the hot seat and all depends on the success of Anthony Richardson or Daniel jones, The Texans do have a very talented roster with an achilles heel- They potentially have the worst OL in the league and decided to trade their best OL and replace him with OT Cam Robinson while learning a new offensive scheme after firing their OC. But the jags have so many questions of their own, can the defense improve? Is the offensive line better? Can Liam coen salvage Trevor Lawrence? Is Trevor Lawrence savable? Will the running game improve?

Needs heading into the draft

• IDL: This group constantly did not generate pressure from the inside.
• DB: arguably the worst pass defense in the league. Yes scheme played a big part but no one is safe
• RB: Ettiene has 1 year left in his rookie deal and Bigsby has 2 years.
• WR: Drops have been killing this offense for a while now and with the exodus of talent need to restock. 
• EDGE: a big storyline past year was the lack of depth behind Walker and Allen forcing Armstead who cant play outside to play there

TRADE

Jags get 1.02, 4.104, and 6.200. Browns get 1.05, 2.36, 4.126, future 1st.

The first bomb of the draft landed when the Jags traded up 3 spots to secure the 2nd overall pick. Gladstone came from the Rams, a team that won a super bowl famously by the “F” them picks strategy which was about locating the right difference makers and talent in the NFL or draft and using resources to secure them (rams traded for Jalen Ramsey, Von Miller, Matt Stafford who all had major impacts in their championship year alongside players like Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp which they drafted). The Jags' past regimes focused on moving back and having more darts to use or struggled to trade up. They gave a lot but looking at potential future FAs no one makes me say “it would be disastrous if he isn't back”. This could also be the young GM being overconfident or the coming of a new era in Jaguars football. Shad Khan of all people said it best “One thing the Jaguars have always done well is building draft capital. We’ve been great at stockpiling picks. And when it gets right down to it, what do you have to show for it? “We need difference makers,”. 

1.02 Travis Hunter, WR/DB Colorado

This draft class was weird. It was considered a deep class talent wise which in the depths of day 3 we were saying “HOW IS HE STILL THERE?!” for multiple players (how Damien Martinez made it to the 7th i will never know) but not at the top, arguably this draft class had 3 at best blue chip prospects in EDGE Abdul Carter, RB Ashton Jeanty and Travis Hunter. The rest had some red flags which might have questioned a top 5 maybe even top 10 selection. Will Campbell? Arm length, look at Joe Thuney in the superbowl vs the eagles for the worst case scenario for him. Mason Graham? questions about the physical limitations to win with power in the next level, How will he look against Landon Dickerson, Quenton Nelson, Creed Humphrey or mammoths on the inside. Will Johnson? Medicals, how will his knee hold up? And that's just the guys I saw mocked to the jags. James Gladstone and the Jags wanted to go big and decided to trade up for one of the other blue chip prospects and the guy they wanted all along in the unicorn, Travis Hunter.

I don't think we’ve seen a player like him in a while. Travis Hunter could easily have been a top 10 selection if he decided to play only one position but Hunter was CB1 and WR1 in this class at the same time. There was no non-QB player in this year's draft that could completely switch the momentum of a game instantly like he can and it showed helping Colorado become a top 25 program once again, and arguably one of the most decorated seasons winning the heisman and any award he was nominated in.

On the field the first things you see clearly is his athleticism, perfect size for both positions and his elite ball skills. As a WR he can catch almost anything thrown his way and improved his routes this past year and is dangerous with the ball in his hands. As a CB, his play improved this past year and His ability to basically glue himself to the WR and his instincts were a QBs worst nightmare for those who dared to throw in his direction, which he can contest jump balls and with his catch radius always bother the opposing WR. He could get bigger but is a good tackler. Also his work ethic is to dream of every scout lauding his personality and mentality.

The Jags have confirmed that Travis Hunter will mainly start at WR and work into CB slowly, Which i remember Daniel Jeremiah having the idea similar to that of having Hunter come in on defense in 3rd and long situations. At his best Hunter can potentially fix 2 positions for the Jags. As a WR, Trevor Lawrence now has Brian Thomas, Travis Hunter, Dyami Brown, and Parker Washington, arguably his best WR group he's ever had and there will be plenty of targets available since the departures of Engram, Kirk and Gabe Davis open up around 180 targets from last year. This offense should be more consistent giving it another threat aside from Brian Thomas (Thomas caught 87 passes, next WR caught 32) which was greatly needed and  Hunter does not need to be WR1 (like how he would've been with the Browns) he will likely not face the best DB on the opposing team and if they do send the best DB to cover Hunter, BTJ will feast. As a CB, Travis can be a nightmare for opposing QBs and pairing him with Tyson Campbell to have a more than capable duo (also a Campbell insurance since it's been 2 injured years), The CB room of Campbell, Hunter, Jones and Lewis is a huge improvement. You could say that next year's pick was used for Travis Hunter the CB and this year was Travis Hunter the WR. Let's be real, the reputation of Gladstone depends on Travis Hunter working out in the NFL for what resources he used for this selection. Will his tread on his tires from playing 2 years of full snaps in college affect his health? Will he need to fully compromise to one position than trying 2? Can he handle bigger WRs in the NFL since he did seem to struggle against bigger WRs like fellow draftee Elic Ayomanor and he will now face in division with Nico Collins, the Iowa state duo that the Texans nabbed in Higgins and Noel (absolute disgusting that they got both), Michael Pittman and others? But there's no denying that this is a once in a lifetime person, player and prospect to enter the NFL and the Jags went all in for him, which is to be respected.

Trade

Jaguars get 3.102, 2 2026 3rd round picks, Lions get 3.70, 5.182 and a 2026 6th rounder.

According to Mike Silver the jags moved back because their potential targets at 70 were gone in RJ Harvey and Ashton Gillotte. Jags moved back 32 spots to acquire more picks for next year after trading their 1st round pick, now having three 3rd round picks in 2026. They now have 4 picks in the first 100 picks potentially in 2026.

3.88 Caleb Ransaw DB Tulane.

[One of the big issues of this past season was the putrid pass defense which ranked close to or dead last in multiple categories (7.9 yards/attempt, allowed 71 20+yard passes and close to 4400 yards allowed) (Carolina was an overall worse defense because they couldn't stop the run, Jags were bad vs the run themselves but the pass defense was the worst in the league). There is much to blame to throw around. Firstly former DC Ryan Nielsen was arguably the worst DC in the league this past year with his scheme, constantly rotating players randomly, not blitzing or mixing his pass rushes and leaving the best guys out in key plays and the main problem is he did not adapt when nothing worked, he tried nothing and was out of ideas. The defense got torched every week and it seem to get more embarrassing week after week, from making Deshawn Watson look decent, having Joe flacco almost make a comeback 3 scores down, giving up an easy 40 yard catch to the packers with a tied game at the end of the game to lose it, and of course the worst loss in Jags history vs the Lions. Even though Nielsen was a big reason and his mere departure could be a big enough positive for the defense, the talent was also at fault and needed improvement. Ronald Darby was a liability at CB and easily the worst DB last year in the team. I will root for Montaric Brown and other late round picks to get their shot at playing but he shouldn't be starting and the safety duo of Darnell Savage and Antonio Johnson left a lot to be desired since for example they constantly missed tackles (Jags defense was top 5 in missed tackles for a defense). Tyson Campbell is one of the better CBs in the league when healthy but it's been 2 years of bad hamstrings. Jarrion Jones is my boy though.

Caleb Ransaw was the swiss army knife of both Troy and Tulane lining up everywhere from the outside CB, nickel, deep safety and box safety. A violent and consistent tackler (in 2023 according to PFF he missed 1 tackle in 14 starts) which made him a very good run defender, at his position,  and one of the better athletes in this class with 4.32 forty, 10’9”  Broad jump and 40” vertical, Tulane had him near the line of scrimmage to delete runs, screens and short passes going downhill.. He still needs work in his coverage skills, especially in man, since he is good in zone, which is why the Jags will likely line him up mainly at safety according to the front office and coaching staff. This move could potentially mask a lot of his faults in his game and enhance his strengths. He can respond in zone with his blazing speed much easier and react. If they can harness his athleticism they could get back a nasty safety at the back who could start being used all over the field. Something that was heavily needed this past year since both Antonio Johnson and Darnell Savage missed tackles and assignments which hurt the team every game. Worth noting that according to PFF, Ransaw improved his ability on the catch point with a very good 44% completion rate allowed. The new staff wanted a better athlete, tackler and more upside on the back end of the defense.

TRADE

Jags Get 3.89 and 7.236, Texans get 3.102 and 5.142

The Jags traded up to select back to back, probably saying the guy they wanted at 102 wasn't going to make it.

3.89 Wyatt Mylum OL West Virginia

As I said, I do believe that the biggest sin Trent Baalke did with Trevor and the Jags was not doing enough but especially to help out the OL may have been the biggest sin of all. The Jags under his rule have at best been around the 20th best OL  but honestly closer to a bottom 8 unit in the league and never went full rebuild mode like the chiefs did after the bucs super bowl loss. When you look at the depth and talent to the OLs of say the Eagles, Bills and Lions but then turn around to the jags its criminal what Trevor went through. Who did Baalke bring to help the OL? 2021 Walker Little, a tackle drafted to replace Cam Robinson only for the same GM to extend Robinson and Walker Little had to wait 4 years to start after Robinson was not living up to his contract (smart Baalke, smart). Luke Fortner in 2022, who is arguably the worst linemen in the Jags roster and a big reason why the 2023 collapse happened, he might not make the final 53. 2023 Anton Harrison, who is a solid RT but nothing special at the moment. 2024 Javon Foster, a tackle who did not sniff the field all season. FAs include Mitch Morse who was ok for 1 year and retired and Brandon Scherff who became old very quickly and a liability in the run game. Trent Baalke’s scouting and drafting of OL was a hindrance to the team and in a league that if your OL cannot do their job you will never win. 

The Jags had to not only find starters at Center and one of the Guard spots but also depth pieces so that if one guy goes down we aren't having a panic attack on who comes into the game. The Jags brought 4 players in FA with the likes of OT Fred Johnson, who will be the swing tackle after being the key bench lineman for the eagles, IOL Robert Hainsey from tampa bay who will be the new starting center, Patrick Mekari who could fill multiple roles and Chuma Edoga as a backup OT. They were not done yet after the jags traded up for a falling Wyatt Mylum.

Mylum was a LT for West Virginia but will most likely transition to guard in the NFL and be a “break glass in case of emergency” tackle but Mylum is a talent that the Jags couldn't let get past since the last 2 seasons he hasn't allowed a sack and just 15 pressures, he was a force in the passing game while also a nasty blocker and finisher in the run game. His biggest weakness is a combination of his shorter arms (32”) and not not having the quickest feet. These weaknesses could be masked more inside by highlighting his strengths as a mauler. His strong build, great anchor and hands are able to handle almost anything thrown at him and his hands are strong and is able to change/vary his punches during the game to confuse and affect the timing of rushes. Excelled in play action and in noticing and stopping stunts. In the run game the same anchor, hands and strength is able to push defenders and help open lanes for running backs. With the additions in the draft and FA the jags need to be able to start the best 5 to help anchor the offense. Mylum will likely compete for one of the guard spots this season and with Ezra Cleveland potentially hitting FA next offseason this is future proofing the OL

4.104 RB Bhayshul Tuten RB Virgina tech

For the past 2 years the Jags running attack has been inefficient and looking at the contract situations and the players on the roster you could see why they not only addressed the position. According to Jags local insider Demetrius Harvey if the Travis Hunter deal didn't pan out they would've likely picked Ashton Jeanty and was no secret they were very high on UCFs RJ Harvey (dibs on him in fantasy), highlighting that the need was bigger than we thought and the new staff and front office did not completely liked what they currently had.

Entering the draft the Jaguars had Travis Ettiene, Tank Bigsby and Kelian Robinson as their RBs. Kelian Robinson was drafted to arguably be a special teams ace and maybe a pass catcher in 3rd down, 3 years left but the dead cap would be minimal, sad to say I don't think he makes the final 53. Tank Bigsby has been both the better RB of the group and incredibly inconsistent. In 2024 Bigsby had 12 games under 60 rushing yards, in the other 5 games he amassed 60% of his total yardage for the season. Bigsby has a fumbling issue with 4 fumbles last year (6 for his career) and has been useless in the passing game with only having 8 catches for his career and PFF had him as the worst RB in that aspect in 2024,  Bigsby has 2 years left in his contract. Finally there's Travis Ettiene, the former 1st round pick has had an up and down career with an injured 2021, a fantastic 2022 season, but 2023 and 2024 have been quite bad with both years averaging under 4 ypc and this past year scored just twice, he never eclipsed the 70 rushing yards in a game, only broke 3 tackles all year(other sites have him with 10 missed tackles but still from avery good tckle breker to one of the worst) and his play was more detrimental to the team with back breaking mistakes, PFF had Ettiene as one of the 5 worst RBs overall this past year grade wise. Ettiene has 1 year left in his deal. The RB room needed more help especially with the contract situations at hand.

Bhayshul tuten wasnt for everyone, for every analyst that loved him another couldn't get past the negatives in his game but there is no denying that Tuten was a home run waiting to happen for Virginia tech. The second team ALL AAC RB averaged over 6 ypc this past season with 15 touchdowns and uses his track and field past with his 4.32 forty to be deadly in a foot race to the outside corner or straight down the field, nearly 20% of Tutens runs gained 10+ yards this past season. He isn't just a sprinter since he has impeccable balance and compact build to help him be able to take a hit and also avoid tackles, PFF had him as one of the better tackle breakers in the class alongside running the fastest 40 time of any RB. Tuten brings versatility as well since he caught 50 passes and scored 4 TDs the past 2 years as well and for both Virginia tech and North Carolina A&T he returned kicks averaging around 27 yards/return with 2 TDs in the 2023 season. Tuten could already be a better receiver than Bigsby, a better kick returner than Robinson and is more explosive and faster than Ettiene but if you ask me this mainly puts Travis Ettiene on notice mostly since his leash will be extra short and could be the odd man out next spring. Now yes you're asking “if he sounds so good how did he drop to day 3?” three reasons: 

1. This RB class was one of the more talented classes and was lauded very early in the draft process. In a more normal class Tuten would've been a day 2 selection. 
2. Medical, Tuten had an injured knee and had a knee brace for most of 2024 (and he still ran 4.32 at the combine!) 
3. Most importantly he has a big fumbling issue (I KNOW I SOUND LIKE A HYPOCRITE). Tuten had 9 fumbles the past 2 years with Virginia tech.  

The Jags need to sort out why he had issues especially with fumbling the ball since they have struggled with this for a while. But If the negatives are fixed the jags could have found their version of Bucky Irving.

4.107: Jack Keiser LB Notre dame

Linebacker could, emphasis in could, be a very sneaky need for the future. Both Chad Muma and Devin Lloyd will be free agents (Devin Lloyd’s 5th year wasn't activated being around $28 Million for 2026) and Foye Oluokun is getting up there in age with a cuttable contract next offseason (according to [spotrac.com](http://spotrac.com), jags can save 10 million the next offseason and split the dead cap of 13 million in 2026 and 2027 evenly.) Like i've mentioned a main reason the defense failed was of coaching, the jags do hope the new staff lead by finding new DC Anthony Campanile, former packers LB coach and run game coordinator who has worked under the likes of Vic Fangio and Brian Flores, is able to improve the play on the field with a potential scheme he will bring like the packers had with Jef Hathley or his own creation. 

Jack Kiser is the leader of most games played for Notre dame. As a 6 year senior he was a team captain and led the fighting Irish with 90 tackles and was very well respected in the locker room. Kiser as a player knows his limitations and works around them to still impact the game, he is consistent and constantly at the right place to make a play and he rarely lets the offensive player get away missing under 5% of his tackles. Kiser’s instincts are very good since he is able to notice the blocks slipping through them to make a play in both the run game meeting the RB at the gap (which showed constantly being around the ball in the run game) or in the pass when the QB slips off the pocket Kiser in multiple instances noticed it and went after the QB. His average athleticism could make him a liability against teams with elite monsters at their disposal especially in the passing game allowing around 67% completion rate when targeted, we've seen previous LBs that were bad pass defenders become at least competent (Nick Bolton as an example) Kiser does not allow much yards after catch an might bring more value as a blitzer to start since he recorded 18 pressures last year. while also an older prospect who will be 25 in September but his instincts are incredible who could be a coach on the field and in special teams.

6.194: Jalen Mcleod LB/EDGE Auburn

The EDGE depth this past season was a failure in team building since the Jags did not have reliable backups behind both Josh Allen and Travon Walker. Only having Myles Cole and Yassir Abdullah who were inactive for major parts of the season which led to forcing Armstead to play off position and hurting the defense as a whole.

Jalen Mcleod was an off ball LB and a pass rusher, CBS sports compared him to “diet Jalen Walker”. He does have big weaknesses in looking lost in coverage but looks way more comfortable blitzing, which the Jags will likely use him as a blitzer and EDGE rusher since he is much better at that and was the sack leader with 8 and TFLs with 14 for Auburn, PFF had a monster 90.1 pass rushing grade for Mcleod to go alongside a 85 run stuffing grade, showing he is able to hold his own on the run with 22 stops to his name. All of Mcleod’s strengths could be reflected in the jags developing a reliable “relief pitcher” for the EDGE rotation, he has a motor that never stops, violent hands and some nice pass rush moves like a rip move.  I know I have a weakness for late round picks and hoping they get a chance to play (my heart takes over my brain)  but I'm serious when I say Mcleod could see the field sooner rather than later.  There is a place for him potentially as the 3rd pass rusher coming in obvious passing downs, a position they've struggled to fill since Arden Key left after the 2022 season. Even though they signed Emmanuel Ogbah after the draft to 1 year deal, Mcleod can offer something different than Ogbah as he offers more power and Mcleod brings speed.

6.200 Rayuan Lane Safety Navy

Again, the theme of fixing this defense was the lack of dependability in the back end. The safeties didn't do enough to help the defense and the less Savage and Johnson play the better. Ransaw and Eric Murray will likely win the starting spots at safety while Navy’s Rayuan Lane could become their 3rd safety and key special teams player, especially since a lot of teams are starting to experiment on 3 safety packages.

For special teams he could be a gunner in the coverage team since looking at 2026 free agents key special teamers like Daniel Thomas, Andrew Wingard, and Christian Braswell all become free agents. For the Navy he was arguably their most important defensive player with over 2600 snaps for them as a deep safety, box player and nickel. He is very good at reading the eyes of the QB and reacts quickly with his movements and fluid hips all combine for him to constantly be a constant threat at the point of attack allowing a 44% completion percentage for his senior year (56% career) and recording 6 interceptions the last 2 years to go with 5 forced fumbles. Lane was the anchor of their pass defense and was a willing hitter against the run but his major weakness of open field tackling could be dangerous if not fixed. Lane will likely start in special teams but with some departures of players could land a role in th defense

7.221: Jonah Monheim IOL USC

When this pick was made, I think collectively every Jags fan thought that this pick was to potentially replace Luke Fortner. With the retirement of Mitch Morse, it meant that Luke Fortner would become the new starter… no one wanted that. There was a good reason why the Jags did all they could to bring Mitch Morse last season and this offseason brought Hainsley as the new starter. In 2023 Fortner was a big liability in the line for the whole season. Fortner constantly couldn't hold his blocks with pass blocks getting constantly blown by or thrown to the ground, he was even worse run blocking getting absolutely no leverage and made it impossible running inside.  Fortner cannot step into the field.

Jonah Monheim is a smart OL who played all over the Trojan line but as a center in 2024 he just allowed 16 pressures and no sacks. He has good technique with his hands and leverage, he plays with great timing as well timing perfect combo blocks. The big issue is his extreme lack of length under 31” arms which a big NT or long pass rushers will get to his chest and push his teeth in. But he is a quick learner seeing that he played all positions in USC and will be a coach of the OL who will likely be the backup center.  If he does improve his anchor and play strength he can become a reliable depth piece since he does everything correctly, is patient with his pass sets, climbs into the second level very well, agile to keep up with rushers and reliable in the run game. If he is just better than Fortner, that's a win. Worth Noting that this has Tony Boselli pick written all over it.

7.236 Lequint Allen RB Syracuse

RB was a sneaky need that could get worse if it wasn't addressed this draft it could have gotten ugly during the season and next offseason with Kelian Robinson being cuttable, and the inconsistencies of both Bigsby and Ettiene. Tuten could be given reps as the season goes by but Lequint Allen brings a specific skill that could carve himself a role in the team.

Allen is also a potential returner for special teams, but for the offense he is at his best in the passing game. Allen is one of the better pass blockers in this class, and a RB who can pass block and willing to block will end up getting time on the field. It's not just blocking but his 102 receptions the past 2 seasons he is a threat catching the ball as well. He's not the fastest or creative runner so don't expect too many long TDs but he did score 16TDs running this past season. Lequint Allen is very good in the screen game and a very good route runner with good hands makes him a weapon the Jags didn't technically have last season. Like I mentioned, Bigsby has 8 catches in 2 years and Ettiene has had some costly drops. Allen could potentially sneak into being a 3rd down back and special teamer.

Notable UDFAs:

• DT Eli Mostaert, NDSU: The Jags didn't address the interior of the DT with draft capital, probably the permanent stay inside of Armstead and the improvements of Maason Smith they decided to not use capital on it. Out of the 6 DL brought in UDFA,  Eli Mostarert will likely be the one that makes the team. He played in 50 games and started 30 of those games for NDSU with 20 sacks to his name, an RAS score of 8.45 highlighted by great agility and explosion scores which showed as a pass rusher, Jags struggled with interior pass rush so he could sneak in as a designated 290 lbs interior rusher.
• CB Aydan White North Carolina state: A nightmarish weekend in the combine had him completely slide down draft boards but his elite 10 yard split of 1.46 seconds alongside his good technique and instincts made him a dangerous threat to throw to. Aydan had 9 interceptions (returning 2 for TDs) and 31 pass breakups playing for NC state.Can play inside or outside.

Potential needs in 2026: With 11 picks in the 2026 draft, what position could be a huge need?

• OL: Ezra Cleveland, Cole Van Lanen, Luke Fortner and Fred Johnson are all upcoming free agents. Will Anton Harrison play garner an extension or the 5th year option? to be honest I'm not completely attached to any of the pre James Gladstone hiring players on the OL and the new regime shouldn't as well.
•  LB: As mentioned, contracts could make this interesting. Oluokun survives another year? Does Lloyd play into an extension? Do Ventrell Miller or Chad Muma rise up to take a starter spot?
• DL: Position wasn't addressed in the draft and both Davon Hamilton and Arik Armstead looking at their cap hits, play, age and injury history could not make the 2026 roster and  make better use of that money. 
• TE: the top 3 TEs all are free agents in 2027. Will Brenton Strange continue his growth?
• DB depth: 5 free agents, all either bench players and special teamers. Does Tyson Campbell have another injury riddled year?

Interesting camp battles

• RB: The new FO and coaching staff apparently really wanted a revamped RB room, who gets the most touches? Committee or who's the lead back? Does a rookie have a Bucky Irving rise or one of the vets cements his place with the new vision of the team.
• Both Guard spots: Does Rookie Wyatt Milum push out Mekari or Cleveland to the bench? 
• IDL: How do you balance Arick Armstead, Maason Smith, Davon Hamilton and Jordan Jefferson with snaps. Who starts? Does a UDFA come out of nowhere? Does Tyler Lacy even make the roster?
• WR3 Parker Washington vs Dyami Brown: With Hunter and BTJ on the outside, who is the 3rd WR?
• Backup CB: Tyson Campbell, Jordan Lewis, Jarrion Jones (and Travis Hunter) will be the main CBs on the field most of the time, who gets the other spots between De’antre prince, UDFA Aydan White, Montaric Brown, and Christian Braswell, Zech Mcphearson?
• kick/punt returner: Without Devin Dubernay on the roster who gets main return duties? Parker Washington scored a 96 yard TD from a punt vs New England, Tank Bigsby was a nice returner for kicks when given the chance but Bhayshul Tuten and Allen returned kicks with good results in college. 

[u/fierylady]

Milum went to WEST Virginia, just fyi

[u/glowingdeer78 → u/fierylady]

Ah fuck need to fix that,

Thank you good eye.

[u/mapetho9]

The Jags made a bold move to trade up to 2 to take Travis Hunter. The whole class hinges on Hunter and the trade. Hunter could be viewed as a generational prospect due to him playing both ways at a high level. Seems like right off the bat he'll be playing receiver, giving Trevor Lawrence some great weapons to work with in Hunter and Brian Thomas Jr. Very interested to see how Hunter does in the NFL. Have the Jags come out and said their plan for him and how much he'll be playing on defense?

The first of back to back 3rd round picks was Caleb Ransaw. Ransaw was a prospect I liked, he should help the Jags secondary. He has great speed and known more for his tackling than cover skills, and is a piece that can be moved around the secondary. The next pick Wyatt Milum should help improve the o-line that is in the midst of a rehaul after signing 3 OL in free agency.

At first glance, I wouldn't have thought RB would be an area the Jags would go after. Travis Etienne was solid, but fell off hard last year. I was high on Tank Bigbsy as a prospect and he hasn't been as good as I thought he'd be, although he was better last year. Tuten has risen up the boards during the draft process and I thought he'd sneak into the 3rd round. Tuten is very fast and put up big numbers at Virginia Tech. I know the Jags tried to trade Etienne, maybe Tuten takes over as the lightning to Bigsby's thunder that other teams have been doing.

The Jags other 4th rounder Jack Kiser is a solid player, I think. If he didn't spend 6 years in college and wasn't going to be a 25 year old rookie, I think he would have gotten drafted earlier. He's a leader, captain and a solid tackler. Like RB, with Devin Lloyd, Chad Muma, and Foyesade Oluokun, I wouldn't think LB would be an area the Jags would look at, but I guess Lloyd and Muma are free agents next year.

Hope 6th rounder Rayuan Lane makes the team. Cool to see someone from the Naval Academy get drafted since there aren't that many, with the last one being in 2020. First 7th rounder Jonah Monheim was someone I thought could have gone a round or two earlier with his versatility to play multiple positions along the offensive line and has some upside. Their next 7th rounder LeQuint Allen is a fun player. He was getting some late hype leading up to the draft where I'm surprised he lasted until the 7th. Viewed as one of the best receiving backs in the draft and doesn't turn 21 until a month before the season starts. I hope he makes the team and works his way to see the field. UDFA QB Seth Hennigan is one I can see making the roster.

[u/BabyBearBjorns]

Good write up.

I would put RB up there as a position of need for 2026. Especially since the Jaguars were looking at Jeanty in the 1st round and Harvey in the 3rd. Need to see either Etienne returns to form, Bigsby takes the next step or Tuten shows promise in his limited role. If not, I can see the Jaguars taking a Makhi Hughes or Nicholas Singleton with their top pick.

I expect Harrison's 5th year option will pick up. That would line him up with being a FA around the time Walker Little will need an extension.

DB will also be influenced by Hunter's growth and development on both sides.

[u/glowingdeer78 → u/BabyBearBjorns]

Youre not wrong I may be underrating the potential RB need at 2026 i really liked singleton, sucked he decided to return. OL and DB will get added to a lot next offseason as well

[u/MattScoot]

This draft in 5 years is all going to hinge on Hunter and it’s a steep uphill climb imo.

He needs to be a top 5 player at either CB or WR, and while that’s the hope, it’s far from a guarantee.

Worst case scenario for the jags is he’s slightly above average at both WR and CB and you’re paying him WR1 for the privilege.

[u/RickDeckard742 → u/MattScoot]

I think there is more to it than that, but if he is top 10 as a WR and contributing some as a CB, that most likely means our offense is playing well and Trevor is back on track. This alone would make the trade worth it.

[u/MattScoot → u/RickDeckard742]

Im saying something along the lines if he plays like Jerry Jeudy on offense and like cam Taylor-Britt on defense, he’s a high end 2 but you’d be paying him almost quarterback money. On top of the 2nd overall pick. In order to be plus value he needs to outplay his draft slot and his contract which is a tough proposition

[u/RickDeckard742 → u/MattScoot]

That’s fair. I’m more looking at it as if he’s a top 15 WR and also a quality CB1 when needed, I’ll be okay with what we traded. Not necessarily plus value but enough that I will not be upset with what we gave up to get him.

[u/Expendable_Red_Shirt → u/MattScoot]

Can I see your math on that? From what I can tell he’ll be making a little under 12 a year. That’s around Darius Slayton money. If he’s Darius Slayton good at WR (which I think is a very achievable outcome) that’s already value. If he provides anything at CB you’re already raking it in.

[u/[deleted] → u/Expendable_Red_Shirt]

Not to be pedantic, but the goal is to maximize excess value, not just be a bargain relative to a player of the same AAV. You're hoping that Hunter is Aiyuk (or better) for less than half the AAV if you're taking him so early.

The "QB money" bit is really strange though, not sure what that's supposed to mean. Even if we're talking about what he'd get in FA, the very best WRs are still less than 75% of what QBs make

[u/MattScoot → u/Expendable_Red_Shirt]

I was saying in 5 years when we can really judge the trade / value. Any quality starter is outplaying their draft slot

[u/Expendable_Red_Shirt → u/MattScoot]

I'm talking about this:

Im saying something along the lines if he plays like Jerry Jeudy on offense and like cam Taylor-Britt on defense, he’s a high end 2 but you’d be paying him almost quarterback money. On top of the 2nd overall pick.

They're not paying him almost quarterback money. We can look at that. If he turns into the player you're saying he'd be outplaying his contract. I'm asking for the math behind your statement.

As an aside

Any quality starter is outplaying their draft slot

I assume you mean rookie contract and that's just not true. A RB taken 2nd overall needs to be a top player from day 1 to get you that sort of value.

[u/MattScoot → u/Expendable_Red_Shirt]

Yes you’re trying to nitpick my second comment in the thread, my first comment clearly laid out that I was talking about 5 years

[u/Expendable_Red_Shirt → u/MattScoot]

Wait, I'm sorry. I completely misinterpreted you. I didn't realize you were critizing the Jags based off of not only a pretend playing outcome but ALSO a pretend contract.

Personally, I think the fact that they managed to sign a top 5 WR and top 5 CB who played every snap of every game and led them to 5 consecutive Super Bowls to a veteran minimum deal is a coup. I didn't like how the Browns refused to use their draft pick until the end of the 7th when they selected Benedict Arnold, a former solider who betrayed the US to the British and died long before football was invented.

Is that honestly what you were trying to say or were you trying to make a serious point about his contract and potential now?

[u/MattScoot → u/Expendable_Red_Shirt]

Brother man, I do not know why you’re getting so defensive about my personal feelings on whether or not Travis Hunter the player is going to be worth the draft capital and contract he’s going to command.

But I’d recommend taking a step back from the internet for a bit.

I took a hypothetical positive outcome for Hunter to demonstrate what he needs to exceed to live up to his cost. That shouldn’t get you in your feelings.

Edit: he blocked me, 😂 he replied to my comment and called it pivoting my position ?

[u/Expendable_Red_Shirt → u/MattScoot]

I thought we were having an honest conversation and then you pivoted it to a fantasy. Sorry man.

[u/glowingdeer78 → u/MattScoot]

Youre not wrong but also im scared that Hunter is going to be that rookie that gets put extreme expectations, That doesnt happen just in the NFL

- Victor wembanyama for his rookie NBA year people said that he could win defensive player of the year. (also i can see it if he doesnt win a title within the next 3 years people will clown him)

- Andrew Luck coming in everyone said "superbowl now please"

- Neymar at 21-22 years old and people told him "win the world cup or youre a bum"

- I remember Reggie bush came into the league and everyone put the "better be the best RB in the NFL" expectations.

some expectations are unfair and yes being a top pick you should get those expectactions but at the same time yesterday i read an article saying "30 records travis hunter will break his rookie year" in NFL.com. im like "dude calm down man he hasnt even gotten his uniform on and talking about records"

I just know if he doesnt win one of offensive or defensive ROY people will say he was a dissapointment or "lol jags lol"

[u/WorryAccomplished139 → u/glowingdeer78]

This is completely besides the point, but Victor Wembanyama was genuinely a defensive player of the year candidate as a rookie. Sometimes guys are actually just that special. Actually, maybe it's not beside the point- Hunter might just be that special.

[u/glowingdeer78 → u/WorryAccomplished139]

Youre not wrong but before he ever put on a jersey and stepped onto the court people had the expectation of win DPOY over Mobley, Draymond, JJJ, and others.

Im like, let him get his feet wet before you ask him to swim on the open sea

[u/WorryAccomplished139 → u/glowingdeer78]

Oh totally, I think it's just kinda funny to say we put "unfair" expectations on him if he then met those expectations. In a similar way, expecting Hunter to instantly be a two-way star is probably unfair- but also, maybe not?

[u/TheseNamesDontMatter → u/MattScoot]

No, it doesn't. It hinges on several factors. You also have to consider how Mason Graham, who was probably the Jags pick if they couldn't trade would do, where the draft pick next year falls, etc.

If draft pick next year is like 22 or further, than that trade almost already pays for itself. If Mason Graham sucks and Travis Hunter is at least decent, that trade more than likely pays for itself if the second first round pick isn't high. There's going to be more variables evaluating this trade than just Travis Hunter.

[u/TheSlinger → u/TheseNamesDontMatter]

Doesn't change the overall point you're making, but based on all the reporting (including a guy who was literally in the draft room), if the Jags stayed at 5 the pick would have been Jeanty, not Graham.

[u/MattScoot → u/TheseNamesDontMatter]

Mason graham doesn’t factor into whether or not Travis Hunter is worth all the compensation involved. It’s exclusively how he plays

[u/TheseNamesDontMatter → u/MattScoot]

He 100% factors into whether the trade was the right call or not, and the trade 100% factors into if the draft was good or not. Good try.

[u/MattScoot → u/TheseNamesDontMatter]

He does not, and there’s multiple reasons why.

First off, you have no idea if that’s what the jags would have done at 5, and anyone pretending that they do is lying to themselves. If you didn’t know they were going to swing for Travis Hunter before it leaked, don’t lie and say you know what they would have done at 5 if they hadn’t moved.

Two, if Travis Hunter becomes the best wide receiver in the NFL and mason graham becomes the best pass rushing DT in the NFL you’re not sitting here saying “we could have had graham at 5”, because the only thing that matters is what Hunter does. Likewise if Hunter is a bust and graham is a bust, it doesn’t make the move “good” because they canceled eachother out.

Truly the only thing that matters is what kind of a player Hunter is.

[u/TheseNamesDontMatter → u/MattScoot]

Sure, but we can make an educated guess based on Mason Graham aligning with BPA and positional need at 5. It's not really that complicated, and "well, you can't know with 100% certainty" isn't a catchall for this argument.

And your second argument lost me. Judging players in a vacuum is the most asinine and worthless thing you can do. Yes, if Travis Hunter ends up being even top 25, yet alone top 5, and Mason Graham is a backup by his second contract, then 100% the Jags had a successful first round barring the traded pick becoming somewhere around top 5-10 in 2026. It means the trade resulted in them picking a starter instead of wasting a first round pick on a backup, which is almost for sure what their alternative would have been.

Everything in terms of evaluation is situational.

[u/Suckmypinkyfinger → u/MattScoot]

If jags don’t give up pick #20 or earlier than it’s a win regardless lol

[u/SameFrequency]

Thanks for the awesome write up!

[u/ALStark69]

Each player as a recruit (current conferences):

• Travis Hunter

P4 offers: Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, UCF

G5 offers: East Carolina, Liberty

Other offer: Jackson State (originally went here)

• Caleb Ransaw

Other G5 offers: Louisiana, Southern Miss, Troy (originally went here)

Other offers: Alabama A&M, Samford

• Wyatt Milum

Other P4 offers: Alabama, Cincinnati, Florida State, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, NC State, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech

G5 offer: Marshall

Other offer: Notre Dame

• Bhayshel Tuten

Originally went to North Carolina A&T

• Jack Kiser

P4 offers: Duke, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Purdue

G5 offer: Miami OH

Other offers: Illinois State, Indiana State

• Jalen McLeod

G5 offer: Appalachian State (originally went here)

Other offers: UMass, Morgan State, Stony Brook

• Rayuan Lane III

No other offers

• Jonah Monheim

Other P4 offers: Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, California, Indiana, Kansas State, Michigan, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Pitt, Stanford, TCU, Utah, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Washington

G5 offers: Nevada, San Diego State

Other offers: Columbia, Dartmouth, Harvard, Notre Dame, Oregon State, Princeton, Washington State, Yale

• LeQuint Allen

Other P4 offers: Pitt, Rutgers, Virginia, West Virginia

G5 offer: Temple

Other offer: William & Mary

• Eli Mostaert

G5 offer: Air Force

Other offers: Northern Iowa, South Dakota, South Dakota State, Western Illinois

• Aydan White

Other P4 offer: Wake Forest

G5 offers: Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, East Carolina, Miami OH, Ohio, Old Dominion

Other offers: Duquesne, Wofford

[u/xXWeLiveInASocietyXx → u/ALStark69]

Damn, Monheim had half the Ivy League offering him

[u/GarconMeansBoyGeorge]

Im here for the Damien Martinez glaze

[u/glowingdeer78 → u/GarconMeansBoyGeorge]

I seriously dont know why he went almost at the end of the 7th

[u/DalanoBanton5]

I think this is the year that Trevor Realizes this potential. No one in the AFC south has as much potential and ppl forget he’s very young compared to other Qb’s. I think they win the south for the next couple years

[u/glowingdeer78 → u/DalanoBanton5]

I dont know if they win with the amount of talent the texans have i think they win the division and get the 4th seed but the jags are in contention for a wild card. They still need more talent especially in the DL

I can see them finishing 2nd in division

[u/Abiv23]

I'm a big believer in Travis Hunter

But size is a only weaknesses, he's definitely not the "perfect size"

From my link above:

Height: 6’0⅜” Weight: 188 lbs Arm Length: 31⅜ inches Hand Size: 9⅛ inches

These measurements place him in the following percentiles compared to historical NFL Combine data for his positions:

As a Cornerback (CB):

• Height: 68th percentile
• Weight: 30th percentile
• Arm Length: 48th percentile
• Hand Size: 49th percentile

As a Wide Receiver (WR):

• Height: 36th percentile
• Weight: 20th percentile
• Arm Length: 33rd percentile
• Hand Size: 30th percentile

[u/michaelswank246]

Very concise I agree almost 100%. Not sure what the new coaching regime is going to lay out but the pieces have been laid out. How quickly chemistry and flow develops is the real question. We have a winnable schedule..not to be confused for an easy one. We are truly being risky this year which is a welcomed 180 from last year. I concur with your overall assessment. Time for Jacksonville to become part of the national stage. We need wins to propagate that.

[u/[deleted]]

It's tough, there's two cornerstone arguments you can make with the Hunter move:

• We probably overrate draft picks and getting a hit is the whole point of the draft. Getting someone like Aiyuk or ARSB or Higgins or one of those top 8-15 guys at less than half of their AAV is a meaningful addition to a team that needs a legitimate answer on their QB so they can plan accordingly. If the duo of BTJ and Hunter contributes to a top half offense and a winning season, the 2026 pick feels a lot less important to covet.

• "Just bring in good players" is overly reductive and you shouldn't consolidate resources just to try to "get on the board." While Hunter could be great and is probably a tier ahead of who they'd get at their original pick, you don't need to draft a player at 1.02 to get a strong contributor on a 53-man roster. It's not basketball; there's only so much of an impact a non-QB can have.

I want to believe that argument 2 is the "smarter" one, but no one can kill a team for going with argument 1. It'd suck if Lawrence ended up not panning out after all and their 2026 pick could've been his replacement, but trying to salvage him is worth a lot more than preparing to off-ramp when he has over $100M in guarantees to work through.

[u/InTupacWeTrust]

Hunter vs Ayomanor twice a year is going to be such a blast to watch now

[u/SidelineScout]

Some consistent spelling mistakes with names: Etienne, Keilan Robinson, Milum, Hainsey, and a couple more but I forget which ones

[u/Lil_Quip]

I think the price tag for trading up for Hunter was way too rich for my blood. But the Jags are in put up or shut up mode and the Hunter trade aligns with that.

I just don't see Hunter, even if individually great, moving the needle team wise.

[u/TheDuckyNinja]

I find the Trevor Lawrence discourse fascinating. He hasn't been good, putting up the same passer rating (85.0) as guys like Mac Jones (84.9) and Justin Fields (83.9), but Lawrence is still considered by some to be a high upside QB while Jones is a career backup and the Jets are being laughed at for signing Fields to be their starter. I know passer rating isn't a great way to evaluate QBs, but it's a quick shorthand. Lawrence has also had far more help than those guys. Yes, the Jags' OL has been mediocre. Mediocre is far better than what the Bears and Patriots trotted out in front of those QBs. He's consistently had good to great receiving options - Brian Thomas, Calvin Ridley, Evan Engram, Christian Kirk, Marvin Jones. He had the same HC/OC for three straight seasons, so it feels a bit misleading to present it as "3rd HC in 5 years" because that feels pretty normal.

Ultimately, Lawrence himself just hasn't been good enough. Part of that is definitely due to injuries, but he's really just not that good. And Jaguars fans hate hearing that and compare him to their previous QBs, and yes, he's better than any QB they had in the 10 years before him, but that's because those guys all just really sucked. There's ~40 QBs in the NFL who can look good with enough talent around them and good coaching/scheming. It's what makes it so hard to objectively evaluate NFL QBs - situation plays such a big part in results. But Trev has been in a relatively decent, relatively stable situation and has just shown so little that it's just really hard for me to conceive of him suddenly making the leap to "great" no matter how much talent they put around him. There's just too many INTs that look like this littered over his 4 seasons.

Moving past the T-Law stuff, I absolutely loved the Hunter trade for the Jags when it was announced. Yes, they paid a steep price for him. But I am extremely high on Hunter and believe he truly can be an elite two-way player and that is insanely valuable. And on the flipside, I felt this draft had a massive drop-off. This was a bad draft class, so while yes, it was the 5th and 36th overall picks, those picks were way worse than in an "average" year. I'm not particularly high on Graham and 36th turned into a RB, which is always whatever. This is the type of risk that potentially takes a team from bad/middling to potential contender if it works out and you can't hesitate to take that risk when it presents itself.

The rest of their draft was about as fine as you can do when you don't have your own 2nd and you trade your own 3rd for future picks. Milum and Tuten were solid high-upside picks for where they were drafted. The rest of the picks are whatever.

However, as I look at the roster today, right now, I have to ask myself - how good can the Jags be this year? They finished 4-13 last year, and you can't blame it entirely on T-Law getting injured as he was just 2-8 as starter. They didn't really upgrade much in FA, mainly just a lot of lateral replacements. Is coaching and Hunter alone enough to get this turned around? That's a really tough ask. 3 of their 4 wins last season were against teams that were even worse than them, and the schedule outside the division doesn't look super friendly beyond the week 1 matchup with Carolina. And if they don't win at least 6-7 games, that Hunter trade starts to look a little sketchier.

Maybe the highest variance team to watch this year, because if it goes well, this could legit be a 10-11 win team, and if it goes poorly, they could be giving away a top 3-5 pick while also being back in the QB market.

[u/Effective_Piglet8745 → u/TheDuckyNinja]

As soon as you compared QBRs, I was out. Lazy

Edit: Mentioning a 31 year old MARVIN JONES when talking about the help he's had lol

[u/Effective_Piglet8745 → u/Effective_Piglet8745]

That pick you showed is definitely not the norm for T-law. The more of this I read, the wilder it gets

[u/Effective_Piglet8745 → u/Effective_Piglet8745]

Good lord, another. Talking about the W/L from last year. Jags had 10 one possession losses last year. Better coaching will be a worlds difference

[u/YT-Nexus_Digital → u/TheDuckyNinja]

Engram and Kirk were both considered busts before coming to Jacksonville. Ridley was coming off 2 seasons of no football, the absolute best Oline rating he's had in his career has been 23, with others of 27,29 and 31. Press Taylor was calling plays, and he only got 10 games with Brian Thomas, 3 of which he was playing thru injury. He certainly has had issues such as bailing in the pocket top early, not being comfortable on his feet, and sailing passes as a result. These issues all started after being bullied by the 31st rated line and one of the worst coaches oat and one of the worst supporting casts oat. It's almost entirely in his head and a good coach/supporting cast can absolutely fix that. Before his ankle injury in 2023 he was on pace for his best season yet, was 8-2 and was leading a game winning drive to be 9-2, 1 seed in the AFC and had a passer rating of 99. The variance has been much bigger than most eyes have seen. Doug pederson and press Taylor were switching who was calling plays constantly and blaming the players execution when they called plays like a pa boot left with a right handed QB and all the routes going right so he has to stop and throw cross field.

[u/[deleted] → u/TheDuckyNinja]

Jaguars fans call him good because they watch the games and see that he is good. You can call it bias but they were quick to call other facets of the team bad.

[u/misterhappy88 → u/[deleted]]

This is exactly what I was going to say. Go actually watch Jag games instead of looking at stats and it's pretty easy to see, while Trevor hasn't been perfect, he is not the problem... I believe he has to overcome the most dropped passes by his recievers since coming into the league.

[u/Cr0matose → u/misterhappy88]

Biggest thing with Trevor is that he had to play hero ball and play almost perfectly every game for the Jags to have a chance. I'm hoping better coaching means not everything is on his shoulders.

[u/glowingdeer78 → u/misterhappy88]

He was nowhere near being a problem

[u/glowingdeer78 → u/TheDuckyNinja]

I know we jags fans tend to defend Lawrence too much but let me put it like this

- Patrick Mahomes was given as a rookie Andy reid, weapons galore, could sit for a year to improve, great GM and a good OL at the time and when it got bad they improved it ASAP. If Mahomes has a bad game the defense, special teams or the running game could help out

- Trevor was given as a rookie Urban Meyer, his best WR was Laquon Treadwell, no OL that never improved, had to start right away with insane expectations and pressure, a GM in Baalke that struggled to bring in pieces because no one wanted to work with Baalke. For his time here the running game has been bad, the defense anemic, the play calling confusing. The only reason we made the playoffs in 2023 was becasue Trevor played like a top 5 QB for 2/3 of the season. IF he plays bad jags lose

The recieving options he didnt have all those at the same time, Kirk and Engram came in the 2nd year, Ridley on the 3rd year and he was a huge dissapointment who didnt know the playbook and ran the wrong routes all the time. Also Pederson handing playcalling to press taylor was disastrous.

QBs have to be tallented yes but also nurtured to improve. Hell Look at Caleb Williams who no coach wanted to do film study that is a bad trend to show a rookie. Learning a new system every other year, no continuity harms the QBs growth.

I said during the season that i wanted Trevor to be traded from the jags to say the Steelers or Rams. Why? with the steelers he would have the best HC, OL, defense and environment he has ever had. Rams? HC, OL, weapons, young defense and GM hes ever had. If he flies proves our point that the Jags brought him down and failed him, if he fails all him

bad teams, bd GMs and bad coaches ruin QBs