Jaguars draft tracker 2024

Welcome to 1010XL’s Jaguars draft tracker. We’ll be updating this page with information on each of Jacksonville’s selections as they’re announced this weekend. Happy draft szn!

Round 1, 23rd overall (via trade with Vikings) – Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU

From our 2024 draft guide: Thomas Jr. was a four-star recruit out of Walker High School, where he played football and basketball. He committed to LSU and recorded 59 catches in his first two seasons before breaking out in 2023. His 17 receiving touchdowns led the nation, and Thomas Jr. received second-team All-SEC honors. Player comp = Plaxico Burress.

Gus’ immediate grade: B-. The Jaguars’ trade-back with Minnesota was a good one, though I was surprised to see Thomas Jr. as the pick over Terrion Arnold. I’ll never be upset about Trevor Lawrence getting help but Thomas Jr. is just an okay value here to me.

Mia’s immediate grade: B+. By many accounts, the Jaguars attempted to move into the Top-10 before being turned away by the most stunning run on offensive players to begin a Draft in NFL history. There was intent to find Trevor Lawrence a No. 1 wide receiver in the first-round. 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.

Round 2, 48th overall – Maason Smith, DT, LSU

Gus’ immediate grade: C. I’ve been half-expecting the Jaguars to select a defensive lineman at this spot for a few weeks, now but I also assumed corner would be the pick at 17th overall. Despite four CB being taken in a row before Jacksonville’s Round 2 pick, the Jaguars still went ahead and addressed DL before a big drop-off occurred at the position. I don’t know much about Smith but he didn’t make our draft guide’s top-five defensive tackles. I would’ve liked to see Kris Jenkins or Michael Hall Jr. as the pick instead, if not a corner. With that said, Smith fills a need and it wasn’t a shocking selection.

Mia’s immediate grade: B. I would like to transport you to to one year ago today. Jaguars fans everywhere are begging Trent Baalke to draft additional pass rush help. Now, let’s go to October 2023. The Jaguars are 6-2, but with DaVon Hamilton’s illness/injury status in doubt, Jaguars fans everywhere are lamenting the lack of interior pass rush/ability to collapse the pocket. Now, to April 2024. Yes, the Jaguars have since added 30-year old Arik Armstead. But hopefully that trip down memory lane provides perspective as to why Smith, a pupil of new-Jaguars ILB Coach Matt House (the former DC at LSU), is the pick at No. 48. And that’s not even taking the lack of depth at DT and Pass Rusher into consideration.

Round 3, 96th overall – Jarrian Jones, CB, FSU

Gus’ immediate grade: C. I like Jones as a player. He has the swagger you look for in a cornerback and fills a need in the slot for Jacksonville (I never believed Darnell Savage or Antonio Johnson would be left out there on third downs). That said, Jones will likely be limited to one role, carries age/injury concerns, and could get stand to improve at anticipating route breaks. I mostly gave the pick a mediocre grade for the Jaguars’ process — after passing on the position until nearly the 100th pick, the team made a big reach on Jones, who was projected to be more of a mid-Day 3 selection. Montaric Brown remains the succession plan for Tyson Campbell (who hits free agency in 2025) at outside cornerback.

Mia’s immediate grade: B-. I agree the process to acquire Jones, who many draftniks regarded as a Day 3 selection because of his extensive resume as a nickel cornerback, raises some eyebrows; I personally was targeting another Seminole cornerback in Renardo Green as a fit for the Jaguars, and despite also being regarded as a Day 3 selection, Green went with the final pick of Round 2 to the 49ers. Coupled together, along with the knowledge of how much press-man Florida State ran (and hearing from Jones firsthand how much he bleeds Ryan Nielsen’s preferred scheme): that says to me that both now-former Noles may transition to the league better than many of us ~analysts~ believed. I don’t believe Jones will start outside, which is where the pick can be knocked. I do believe he will be a Day 1 starter. And I do believe with how much nickel, dime, and quarters the Jaguars will be running, there is value in taking Jones at No. 96.

Round 4, 114th overall – Javon Foster, OT, Missouri

Gus’ immediate grade: B. Cam Robinson and Walker Little are set to enter free agency next offseason, so it was wise to draft a contingency plan at offensive tackle. OL guru Brandon Thorn called Foster “an ideal developmental pick who can be groomed into a contributor over time.” I still have questions about the long-term outlook of Jacksonville’s cornerback room — but Foster was a nice find in the fourth round.

Mia’s immediate grade: B. An intriguing developmental tackle prospect and the last target of the Jaguars’ at the position left on the board. Two things to watch, following Foster’s selection. One, given that Foster has played both left and right tackle, does this free up the Jaguars to trade Cam Robinson? Or is Foster stashed until he becomes the swing tackle in 2025? Second, will he play tackle exclusively or can he also show potential inside? That versatility could push Foster onto the 53-man roster ahead of the veteran Blake Hance.

Round 4, 116th overall – Jordan Jefferson, DT, LSU

Gus’ immediate grade: C. There’s some upside in Jefferson’s game if he can learn to use him length to his advantage, but Jacksonville essentially added a rotational defensive tackle. The former Tiger was expected to be a seventh-round pick. The Jaguars clearly see something in a lot of these LSU guys that other teams don’t, and I’m not sure if that’s a hidden edge or just blatant bias, so I’m choosing to hop back on the fence with another average grade.

Mia’s immediate grade: B. I’ve been higher on Jefferson (and this particular Matt House-connection) than most, and have mocked Jefferson here to the Jaguars since early January. He immediately becomes the back-up to DaVon Hamilton at nose tackle. No need for a last-minute Angelo Blackson or Corey Peters signing. As ESPN Baton Rouge’s Matt Moscona told “Helmets & Heels” last week, Jefferson, a West Virginia transfer, was the most consistent player on House’s inconsistent Tigers defense last season. At 6’4”, 317 lbs, the Panhandle-native had the most reps on the bench press of any defensive lineman at the NFL Combine. Instantly speaks to Trent Baalke’s aspirations to “get more physical” in the weight room that he spoke of in late-January.

Round 5, 153rd overall – Deantre Prince, CB, Ole Miss

Gus’ immediate grade: B-. Jacksonville finally added competition at outside cornerback. That said, Prince is a bit undersized and yet another reach. If the Jags had nabbed a Renardo Green or Ennis Rakestraw Jr. in Round 2 and then selected each of the players they’ve drafted one slot later, I think this draft would be close to a home run. But because a) they didn’t invest as much as I would’ve liked to see in what I believe to be its biggest need, b) it feels like they’re very much drafting “their guys” rather than letting value fall to them, and c) each of their top-50 picks have boom-or-bust profiles, I view the Jaguars’ haul so far as barely above average at best. These are immediate grades, though: my stance could change after I sit down and actually watch each new addition.

Mia’s immediate grade: B+. Sorry Gus, but disagree, lol. IMO, the Jaguars recognized the ~value~ of waiting for Prince, and prioritized selecting a defensive tackle in Round 2 before that position group largely fell off a cliff in terms of pass-rush ability. Is Prince as “plug-and-play” as Green or Rakestraw? No. Are the Jaguars banking on Ryan Nielsen & Kris Richard developing these young defensive backs, just like Richard did with the “Legion of Boom” in Seattle? Yes. Not saying Prince will be the next Richard Sherman, but he is the flavor of press-man corner this staff seeks with 4.3 speed.

Round 5, 167th overall – Keilan Robinson, RB/RS, Texas

Gus’ immediate grade: D. Not every pick has to be a potential Pro Bowler, but I continue to question Jacksonville’s process in terms of finding value on the board. Jefferson and now Robinson (projected to be a priority UDFA signing) are surprise selections in terms of when they went; they both fill roster holes the Jaguars likely could’ve covered with a vet-minimum free agent. I see the vision in Jacksonville investing so heavily in return specialists with the league’s new kickoff rules and all, but I would’ve liked to see a few more selections like Foster and Prince (guys who could develop into key starters) before we starting prioritizing special teams. A kick returner in Round 5 doesn’t do it for me – in Round 7 or undrafted free agency, sure, go for it. But Trent Baalke had to continue his streak of selecting a running back in every draft.

Mia’s immediate grade: C-. The streak lives! Trent Baalke can’t help himself. He needs to take a Day 3 running back each Draft like you require sunshine living in the state of Florida. The good news is that ESPN’s Matt Miller believes Robinson may be the best return-man in the class. The bad news is the Jaguars paid a returner (and, ironically, a fellow UT product) in Devin Duvernay in free agency. I’d expect Robinson to push D’Ernest Johnson for the third running back/core special teamer position on the roster, but his college production makes it hard to project what Robinson will be able to bring on offense. But hey: Trent got his running back, and, I’m inferring, new running backs coach Jerry Mack was asked who he liked… and along came Robinson.

Round 6, 212nd overall – Cameron Little, K, Arkansas

Gus’ immediate grade: D. Thanks in large part to Mia’s mocks, I expected the Jaguars to draft a kicker — but it’s not a strategy that’s worked out historically. As recurring “Helmets & Heels” guest Eric Eager concluded for Sumer Sports, “…the NFL is poor at evaluating kickers coming out of college, and that’s in large part because kicker ability is difficult to discern in general. In a market where things have explicit value, like draft picks, using scarce assets to acquire something whose worth is largely a mystery is not sound.” Jacksonville certainly needed to add kicker competition this weekend but a better approach would have been to wait until undrafted free agency. While not as egregious, the Jaguars’ draft choices this year remind me of how confident they seemed to be of their roster last offseason. We all saw how that turned out.

Mia’s immediate grade: A. Gus is correct. I was told the Jaguars were seeking to identify, evaluate, and ultimately draft a kicker. Special Teams Coordinator Heath Farwell has found his spirit animal in 20-year old Cam Little, the youngest kicker ever drafted and the youngest player ever drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars. His face may say differently, but, if only in a five-minute Zoom call and through my research, Little is wise beyond his years. Check out my full write-up on Little from my Mock Draft 2.0 here, and know this: he’s made kicks in clutch moments, can hit from the logo, and never missed an extra point in college. You can laugh at “drafting a kicker,” but it’s worked out for the 49ers (Jake Moody) and Bengals (Evan McPherson) in recent years. Go get your guy.

Round 7, 236th overall – Myles Cole, EDGE, Texas Tech

Gus’ immediate grade: A. Hooray! The Jaguars got the type of position I was looking for, and certainly the type of prospect Baalke was looking for: Cole boasts a six-foot-six, 278-pound frame with 99th-percentile arm length. He’s very much a project, but I appreciate the Jaguars for investing something in its EDGE rotation behind Josh Allen and Travon Walker rather than drafting a third specialist.

Mia’s immediate grade: B+. Only reason I’m tempering my excitement and staying on the “B” line is the combination of Cole’s lack of production (5.0 sacks total) despite six years in college (he turns 24 on Monday). Does he have measurable’s that cannot be taught? Absolutely. Do I trust Bill Shuey to get the most out of Cole? After guiding Travon Walker’s development to a double-digit sack artist in 2023, yes, whole heartedly. Cole is the ideal project to be inactive on gameday’s behind Walker, Josh Allen and Trevis Gipson (plus maybe another free agent signing?) before eventually taking over Gipson’s role down the line.