Could two big moves on Thursday shake up the plans for the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason? With free agency fast approaching, Jacksonville traded wide receiver Christian Kirk to the Texans and released tight end Evan Engram, whose big 2025 contract made roster-building too difficult in Duval County.
But does that mean the Jaguars will now go with a pass-catcher when they select fifth in April's draft? Or will the team address those issues in free agency?
Based on those moves and the current needs of this Jaguars roster, here's our best guess at what the team will do with its four picks in the first three rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Round 1, Pick 5: DT Mason Graham (Michigan)
You could make a good argument that the Jaguars take Tetairoa McMillan here after moving on from both Christian Kirk and Evan Engram, but for now, we're sticking with the growing consensus from before those moves. That's Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham.
Jacksonville has a pair of really talented edge rushers in Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, but the team really lacks any pressure from the interior. That's part of why the Jaguars had the fourth-fewest quarterback hits in 2024. Hines-Allen and Walker have the ability to get the quarterback, but a lack of pass rush down the middle means that, overall, the Jags aren't getting to the passer.
Michigan's Mason Graham would help that. He might not be quite as big as you want a down lineman to be, but Graham makes up for that by being both strong and fast, allowing him to engage offensive linemen and immediately start the process of getting past those linemen and to the quarterback. He also brings a ton of versatility to the field.
Winning starts in the trenches, and both sides of the trenches have major holes heading into the 2025 offseason. Drafting Graham at No. 5 overall helps to shore up one of those holes. The team can address the other side of the ball later in the draft or in free agency.
Round 2, Pick 36: CB Benjamin Morrison (Notre Dame)
While the Jags could go wide receiver here if the right name is on the board, the defensive secondary is still a bigger concern.
Last season, the Jaguars allowed more passing yards than any other team. They also picked off the third-fewest balls over the course of the season. So, gives up a ton of yards and doesn't force turnovers? Yeah, that's not ideal!
Jacksonville could take Michigan's Will Johnson in Round 1 because of how big a need this is, but that feels like a stretch unless Jacksonville trades back a few spots.
Notre Dame's Benjamin Morrison in Round 2 is not a bad consolation prize, though. He's comfortably a top-five corner in this class. He can play out wide or as a slot corner and shows good technique.
Morrison can also be a Day 1 starter, which is big for this Jaguars team. In his 2022 freshman season at Notre Dame, Morrison made an instant impact, picking off six passes with one pick-six. He moves the needle on the Jacksonville defense.
Round 3, Pick 70: WR Elic Ayomanor (Stanford)
I'm much less convinced of the player here than of the position. Assuming Matthew Golden or Emeka Egbuka doesn't fall to the second round, there's not really a name worth reaching for in Round 2, so Round 3 will be where the Jaguars target a Christian Kirk replacement.
Maybe that's Stanford's Elic Ayomanor, or maybe if Ayomanor is off the board before then, it's Tre Harris from Ole Miss or Jayden Higgins from Iowa State. Whoever it winds up being, this team needs someone who can play opposite Brian Thomas Jr.
If it's Ayomanor — which is a big if since he looks like someone who could be a riser as the draft approaches — then the Jaguars would be getting someone who excels at route running. He isn't going to consistently burn a defense, but he can create enough separation to be a solid NFL starter. Ayomanor is an ideal No. 2 receiver and a great complement for Thomas, as he can play out wide but also can be a mismatch in the slot.
As for what Jacksonville could do at tight end, it's possible the team takes a swing at BGSU's Harold Fannin Jr. here if he's still on the board, but the Jags still have Brenton Strange on the team's roster. There were times in 2024 where Strange looked like he could be a borderline top-10 player at the position with a little more development, so Jacksonville giving him a shot to prove that as a full-season starter likely makes more sense than using a pick in one of the first three rounds on tight end. The exception to that would be if Colston Loveland somehow falls into the second round, but that doesn't feel realistic at this stage.
Round 3, Pick 88: C Seth McLaughlin (Ohio State)
Kirk and Engram weren't the only Jaguars players to leave the team on Thursday. Center Mitch Morse announced his retirement, leaving a hole in the middle of the offensive line for Jacksonville.
North Dakota State's Grey Zabel, the best center prospect in this class, should be long gone by Pick 88, but it wouldn't be shocking at all to see Ohio State's Seth McLaughlin still on the board. He's a strong force in the middle of the field and really only has one big red flag: his medicals.
After four years at Alabama, McLaughlin moved to Ohio State last season, where he was one of the nation's best offensive linemen before a torn Achilles in practice in November.
It's very possible McLaughlin won't be fully ready to go to open 2025, but signing a veteran stopgap at center and moving to McLaughlin when he's back at 100 percent is a great upside move for the Jaguars. Because a healthy McLaughlin has the tools to be a high-level NFL center, and the Jaguars need to find talent like that.