2025 NFL Draft Grades: Jacksonville Jaguars

Best Pick: It was making the bold move to go up and get Travis Hunter with the second overall pick. Yes, they gave up a lot to do so, but he's the best player in this draft. They needed to be bold -- and they were.

Worst Pick: I like fourth-round linebacker Jack Kiser as a player, but they had more-pressing needs when he was taken. This was a pick true to their board. He will be good on special teams right away.

The Skinny: In his first draft running things, new general manager James Gladstone had a great draft. The trade to get Hunter was big, and gives them another playmaker, but they added a bunch of good players. I love guard Wyatt Milan in the third and running back Bhshul Tuten in the fourth. This once-slow team can now fly. Seventh-round center Jonah Monheim is a good player.

Top needs entering the draft: Defensive tackle, cornerback, safety and wide receiver

The Jaguars made waves pretty much right away Thursday, trading up from No. 5 to No. 2 to take receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter. It was an aggressive play, as they gave up Nos. 5, 36 and 126, plus a 2026 first-rounder, for Nos. 2, 104 and 200. But Hunter is no ordinary prospect. I had him No. 1 overall since the preseason. He will make the Jaguars better on both sides of the ball. So while the trade package is hefty, I understand the approach. (Besides, Jacksonville picked up two 2026 third-rounders in a trade with Detroit on Day 2 -- I like that a lot.)

I projected Mason Graham to the Jaguars at No. 5 in all four of my mock drafts this cycle. I saw defensive tackle as the weakest spot on the roster. After all, the Jaguars allowed 5.9 yards per play and 25.6 points per game last season, both bottom-five numbers in the NFL. But the intel started to shift over the past week, and the Jags focusing on offense in Round 1 became more and more likely. Liam Coen -- an offensive-minded coach -- obviously wanted to get Trevor Lawrence another elite playmaker in his first year at the helm. Hunter will accomplish that after catching 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 TDs last season. Hunter, Brian Thomas Jr. and Brenton Strange form a solid trio.

But Hunter will also help that defense. The Jaguars lack a difference-maker opposite Tyson Campbell, and I'm betting Hunter sees plenty of work in coverage, especially late in close games. You can't leave this guy on the sideline in big spots, regardless of whether it's the offense or defense on the field. His ball skills, general feel for the game and speed will transform the Jaguars' outlook.

The name of the game for the Jaguars from there was finding contributors. Cornerback Caleb Ransaw will help in the secondary. Guard Wyatt Milum was perfect value on the offensive front (my 89th prospect, going No. 89). Running back Bhayshul Tuten ran a 4.32 in the 40-yard dash at the combine and was my No. 78 prospect, so I like the value at No. 104 overall (but he needs to fix his fumbling issue). And safety Rayuan Lane III could make a sneaky impact. He plays fast and gets his hands on the ball when it's thrown in his area.

The Jags made the signature pick of the draft, trading up three spots (and giving up a massive haul in the process) for the ability to take Colorado cornerback-slash-receiver Travis Hunter. Hunter is a truly unique prospect, capable of high-level play at two premium positions—both of which are positions of need for this club. I cannot wait to see what he does on offense in particular, where he'll complement Brian Thomas Jr. perfectly and give Trevor Lawrence a big-time ball-winner in high-leverage situations. Later in the draft, the team added another corner in Tulane's Caleb Ranshaw and a potential future starter in West Virginia offensive lineman Wyatt Milum. They also grabbed one of my favorite sleeper running backs in this class with Virginia Tech's Bhayshul Tuten. Tuten has top-tier juice at the running back position, showing the ability to shoot through small creases in the line and access rush lanes that few other backs can. It won't be a big surprise if Tuten ends up as the lead back in Jacksonville at some point in the next two years, and his big-play ability could act as a force multiplier for the offense. Hunter is doing a lot of the lifting for this overall class, but Jacksonville found some nice value on Days 2 and 3.

Look, I'm as high on Travis Hunter as anyone. I've long been referring to him as the top prospect in this class and a generational talent since his first game at Colorado. And I love the pairing of Hunter with Brian Thomas Jr. and, of course, both Liam Coen and Trevor Lawrence. But Hunter had damn well better be prepared to play two positions full time to justify Jacksonville's borderline reckless trade of its 2026 first-round selection to move up three spots to get him. Anything less than immediate superstardom for Hunter and the Jags will look foolish.

The long wait to pick again — Jacksonville went 86 selections before being back on the clock — only reinforces how important the Jaguars made him to their class. I like the addition of gritty corner Caleb Ransaw and dependable blocker Wyatt Milum in the third round, as well as the big-play potential offered by Day 3 running backs Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen.

Here's why: Travis Hunter goes vroom! The Jaguars got aggressive at the top of the draft and moved up to the No. 2 spot to select Hunter, the most talented player in this draft. Whether he plays offense or defense (Jags indicate they're looking at more wide receiver than corner for Hunter), he's going to impact the game. I also like Hunter's fit with who the Jaguars have on both sides. He can be the No. 2 opposite of Tyson Campbell on defense and the Jaguars already have a definite No. 1 pass catcher in Brian Thomas Jr. The Hunter Experiment will be one of my favorite subplots in the NFL this year. I liked the Jaguars' selection of Wyatt Milum, too (more below), as I thought the Jaguars needed to keep adding to their offensive line room.

Most interesting pick: Wyatt Milum, OG, West Virginia

Milum held his own as a tackle in college but I like him best at guard, where his lack of length can be mitigated. He can start at LG right away for the Jaguars and his ability to kick outside in a pinch adds to the appeal. Milum has strength as a run blocker and projects as a plus-pass protector on the inside. I really liked this pick for the Jaguars.

Mid-rounders like CB Caleb Ransaw, OL Wyatt Milum and RB Bhayshul Tuten all have nice upside, lightning fast and powerful Tuten in particular. But rookie GM James Gladstone's first draft will be completely defined by the bold move to trade up three spots for WR/CB Travis Hunter with the second overall pick — a gambit that also cost the Jags their second-rounder and a first in 2026. Yet Hunter just might be the generational prospect worth the price — especially if he can become a security blanket for QB Trevor Lawrence while Brian Thomas Jr. hits the home runs. And maybe Hunter provides situational reps at corner.

This draft will forever be remembered for Jacksonville's bold trade-up to select Hunter. A two-way star unlike anything the NFL has seen in the modern era, Hunter was so coveted by first-year general manager James Gladstone that he relinquished two first-rounders and a second-round choice to get him. Beyond Hunter, the Jaguars fortified their secondary with Ransaw before adding Milum, a standout at the Senior Bowl. Milum should compete for a starting job in 2025, and at a minimum offer a long-term plan.

I came in here fully ready to crush the Jaguars for overpaying in the Travis Hunter trade, but they really did crush the rest of the draft. Jack Kiser was one of the better picks on Day Three. Offensive tackle Wyatt Millum and running back Bayshul Tuten were also great picks, and I'm not just saying that because I love All Elite Wrestling. Tell Will Ospreay I say hello, Tony Khan.