{"id":7436,"date":"2025-04-28T16:42:09","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T16:42:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/7436\/"},"modified":"2025-04-28T16:42:09","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T16:42:09","slug":"2025-nfl-draft-jacksonville-jaguars-winners-and-losers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/7436\/","title":{"rendered":"2025 NFL Draft: Jacksonville Jaguars winners and losers"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s been a while since the Jacksonville Jaguars<\/a> were the talk of the NFL, but the Jags were just that this week.<\/p>\n

Since moving up to take Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter at No. 2 overall,<\/a> the Jags have been at the forefront of the league\u2019s discourse and rightfully so. Alongside Cleveland<\/a>, the same team Jacksonville traded picks to acquire Hunter, the two normally woeful teams are right at the center of attention. <\/p>\n

Of those two teams, one is getting much more positive coverage than the other. You can guess which is which.<\/p>\n

With all that said, we are back to assessing winners and losers from the past week\u2019s draft. And it is hard to call Jacksonville anything but a winner.<\/p>\n

WINNERS<\/p>\n

The Jacksonville Jaguars<\/p>\n

It feels darn good to be a Jags fan right now. After years and years of turmoil, it finally seems that the Jags have turned a page and are writing a positive chapter in their history books.<\/p>\n

By most accounts, the Jags had a tremendous draft. Yahoo Sports gave the Jags an A for thier draft class.<\/a> ESPN\u2019s Mel Kiper gave the team a B.<\/a> NFL.com\u2019s Chad Reuter gave the team an A-.<\/a><\/p>\n

Much of the discourse surrounding the team\u2019s draft revolves around the cost to move up for Hunter, particularly giving away next year\u2019s first-round pick.<\/p>\n

But general manager James Gladstone comes from the \u201cF*** Them Picks\u201d<\/a> era of Los Angeles Rams<\/a> football. And giving Cleveland next year\u2019s 32nd pick seems like a fine price to pay for a player who quite literally has never been before. <\/p>\n

Trevor Lawrence<\/p>\n

As for who specifically should be ecstatic over this week\u2019s draft, it should be Trevor Lawrence. <\/p>\n

Lawrence has a new No. 2 weapon on offense in Hunter, who Jacksonville coaches have said will play a lot of offense despite being a two-way player. The franchise quarterback now also has an incredibly fast running back in the room in Virginia Tech<\/a>\u2019s Bhayshul Tuten. Tuten was clocked as the fastest RB at the combine and could be a sort of Corey Grant-esque change of pace back for the team to complement Tank Bigsby. <\/p>\n

Along with the offensive linemen added in free agency, plus taking West Virginia<\/a> guard Wyatt Milum, it finally seems that the Jags are proving an adequate framework around Lawrence. Took them long enough.<\/p>\n

James Gladstone<\/p>\n

There was not a single other general manager who displayed bigger balls than Gladstone did in his first-ever draft as a GM. The Jags\u2019 GM, who looks like he might not even be old enough to drink legally, made a major move in the first round and continued to wheel and deal picks all throughout the draft. He drafted players with high upside and didn\u2019t particularly reach on any players based on some small metric or arm size conversations. Gladstone wanted a guy like Hunter and he got him. <\/p>\n

In just a few weeks at the helm, Gladstone has completely redefined the culture of the Jags even so far as just in the words he speaks. His messaging and movements are deliberate and he has a vision. <\/p>\n

After the draft, he continued making moves that he didn\u2019t feel comfortable making in the draft, like signing Emmanuel Ogbah.<\/a> This was a banner weekend for the Jags and one that actually makes the team look competent. <\/p>\n

James Gladstone presented Bhayshul Tuten’s name as a priority target on Day 3 during his two interviews with the Jaguars to become their GM pic.twitter.com\/08PYmloWYU<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) April 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Brenton Strange<\/p>\n

Bet you weren\u2019t expecting to see this name appear today. But Strange is a winner on this list because the Jags didn\u2019t draft a single tight end, and didn\u2019t make a move for somebody like Tyler Warren in the first round.<\/p>\n

The jury, for many, is likely still out on Strange and what he can be for Jacksonville. He has shown flashes and it seems like the front office and coaching staff are all in on him being TE1 in town. It was probably unlikely that the Jags ever would draft someone like Warren after maybe trading back from five, but Strange definitely had to breathe a sigh of relief when he saw that Browns logo change to teal early on Thursday.<\/p>\n

LOSERS<\/p>\n

The Cleveland Browns<\/p>\n

This first loser may be biased, but it does seem like the Browns had a weird draft, right? They drafted two quarterbacks and used their trade back to pick five to draft a defensive tackle that does not inspire jersey sales or renewed fandom. <\/p>\n

Gladstone went and robbed the Browns blind at the first opportunity he got. That type of move would never have been made if someone like Gladstone were not in the building in Jax. <\/p>\n

Now, the Browns are forced to navigate one of the strangest quarterback rooms in modern NFL history alongside a pretty forgettable first-round selection in Mason Graham \u2013 who was predicted by almost everybody to come to Jacksonville. <\/p>\n

You could even throw the Tennessee Titans<\/a> in this same boat as Cam Ward might have been one of the most forgettable No. 1 overall selections in recent years, due in part to the foregone conclusion of him going to Tennessee and in part due to the trade that happened immediately afterwards. This tweet from 2018 is so funny to look at today. <\/p>\n

I love what the @Browns<\/a> have done this offseason but if im a young QB ain’t no way im going to Cleveland. I would pull a ELI MANNING If possible. #ThinkAboutthat<\/a> #Truth<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) March 13, 2018<\/a><\/p>\n

Drafting interior defensive linemen<\/p>\n

So much for drafting Graham. The thinking by most was that Jacksonville was going to draft Graham to buff up a poor interior D-line room. Instead, the Jags got a two-way playmaker and drafted a couple of edge guys like Jalen McLeod out of Auburn alongside the signing of Ogbah. <\/p>\n

At this point, no fans should have any reason not to trust Gladstone\u2019s process so maybe he sees something we all are not able to. With Arik Armstead back inside and more minutes for players like Maason Smith, there should be much better production from that interior group we saw last year. <\/p>\n

This excerpt<\/a> from Jacksonville\u2019s ESPN reporter Michael DiRocco sums it all up:<\/p>\n

General manager James Gladstone said the team didn\u2019t want to reach for a player at the position. But it\u2019s also a sign the new regime feels good enough about young DTs Maason Smith and Jordan Jefferson improving in Year 2, as well as the boost they hope to receive from moving Arik Armstead back inside from end. It might be a gamble, but Smith did come on strong at the end of last season<\/p>\n

Travis Etienne Jr.<\/p>\n

It would appear that the Run ETN days in Jacksonville are coming to a close. Such is life as an NFL running back in today\u2019s era. <\/p>\n

Bigsby showed last year he can be a commanding back when given the right opportunity, and the Jags went ahead and drafted two running back,s including one that should immediately play in Tuten. The team drafted running back Kielan Robinson last year as well and he could provide some depth when healthy. <\/p>\n

Etienne\u2019s contract is up after this year. It seems crazy to think they would want to extend him at this time. It isn\u2019t so much about what Etienne has done or not done, but more so based on the cheaper options that are waiting in the wings behind him. <\/p>\n

Mamas, don\u2019t let your babies grow up to be running backs, or whatever Waylon Jennings said. <\/p>\n