For the Jacksonville Jaguars, 2025 is about not only meeting, but exceeding expectations that have followed the organization for the last few years. While there’s still a long way to go before anointing them as one of the favorites in the AFC this fall, here is an early look at where newly minted GM James Gladstone could go next month.
Round 1 (No. 5 overall): Mason Graham, IDL, Michigan
Mason Graham is a flat-out stud up front. Considering the talent already in place for the Jaguars, it could be a ‘pick your poison’ approach for teams every week with Graham in the fold. Blocking him in isolation is asking to have your quarterback thrown to the turf.
Round 2 (No. 36 overall): Azareye’h Thomas, CB, Florida State
An uber-competitive corner and one of the premier man defenders in the class, Azareye’h Thomas’ fire and competitiveness would fit well inside a Jaguars locker room that needs a jolt of energy. I like Jarrian Jones, but I like Thomas even better in this spot to start opposite of Tyson Campbell, allowing Jones to move into a versatile inside-out CB4 role behind nickel man Jourdan Lewis (FA addition).
Round 3 (No. 70 overall): Jack Bech, WR, TCU
Jack Bech is a flat. out. ballplayer. He will not wow with intangibles, but if the Jaguars want a long-term piece that will do everything and do it well, while also being the toughest dude on the football field, turn in Bech’s card.
Round 3 (No. 88 overall): Billy Bowman Jr., SAF, Oklahoma
Billy Bowman Jr. plays with a massive chip on his shoulder and is an athlete who takes things personally at the safety spot. He flies from number to number, has no issue making plays in the run game, and has had success in coverage against varying body types. If you liked Jalen Pitre out of Baylor a few years ago or Tyrann Mathieu out of LSU way back, you’ll like Bowman Jr., an athletic chess piece that plays at full speed on every snap.
Round 4 (No. 107 overall): Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Bowling Green
Harold Fannin Jr. projects as an alignment-versatile weapon who can dominate the intermediate areas and boost the ground game. While the pre-draft process has seen his stock slip a bit, Fannin Jr. is still a modern-day flex weapon that will expand a playbook early in his career. Looking at the Jaguars' depth chart after losing Evan Engram, it wouldn’t shock me to see Fannin Jr. outplay the likes of Brenton Strange and Johnny Mundt and get a heavy workload early in his career.
Round 4 (No. 126 overall): Jermari Harris, CB, Iowa
A sixth–year senior, Jermari Harris will enter the process as one of the country’s most mature defensive backs. He projects immediately as a rotational piece on the outside with more than 1,900 collegiate snaps under his belt.
Round 5 (No. 142 overall): BJ Green II, EDGE, Colorado
Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter get all the attention for the Buffs, but there are other draftable talents scattered throughout the roster. A transfer from Arizona State, BJ Green II is a nice blend of size and bend, who accrued 99 pressures and 14 sacks over the last two seasons. He’s a late riser in the edge class.
Round 6 (No. 182 overall): Alex Harkey, OL, Texas State
One of the premier pullers in the country, Alex Harkey projects as a versatile piece at the next level. In this spot, Jacksonville adds depth to the offensive front where expectations are minimal, and you allow Harkey to compete for a backup spot right away. In the best-case scenario, he progresses into a swing guard/tackle with starter potential in case of injury.
Round 6 (No. 194 overall): Brady Cook, QB, Missouri
Competition never hurts, and while Brady Cook is talented, he also won’t be the type of presence that at any point serves as a legitimate threat to take Trevor Lawrence’s job. In this case, Cook is a serviceable QB2/3 that adds fresh legs to an offense, and maybe, pushes Lawrence a little bit.
Round 7 (No. 221 overall): Robert McDaniel, DB, Jackson State
I like to use these late selections to introduce players to the audience who are currently unknown to the public eye. One of the premier HBCU products in the class, McDaniel is an uber-athletic defender who has accrued more than 160 snaps at all three levels of a defense in his career. As teams search for alignment-versatile, athletic pieces late on day three, McDaniel fits the script to a T.
