The Jacksonville Jaguars will continue to raise the roster floor in the 2025 NFL Draft after coming out of free agency with a promising haul. Having already addressed some of their most pressing needs, they'll have ample flexibility at No. 5. even if two-way star Travis Hunter is off the board.
And that's the thing: Most of the teams ahead of the Jags in the first could be setting their sights on Hunter. But because Jacksonville is entering the draft without a clear weakness, they can take different paths with the fifth overall pick, and many of them will lead them to a potential building block.
Having said that, there are a handful of players the Jaguars should steer clear of, including the following three.
Ashton Jeanty, running back
Ashton Jeanty is he crown jewel in what appears to be a deep running back class. He's projected to go in the top 10, and understandably so. The former Boise State Bronco had more than 100 broken tackles in 100, making him the only running back in the past 10 years to achieve the feat.
Only once over the last decade has a RB surpassed 100 forced missed tackles in a season, according to PFF (Bijan Robinson had 104 in 12 gms in 2022).
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) November 18, 2024
Ashton Jeanty is now at 105 forced missed tackles in 10 gms in 2024. pic.twitter.com/Oo8y4oHgXB
But even if you put aside Jeanty's ability to grind the tough yards, he's got all the traits you want in a top running-back prospect, whether it's the burst or vision to break off big runs. That said, the Jaguars have more pressing needs. On top of that, they already have a dynamic backfield tandem in Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby.
Jeanty could turn out to be better than both of them, but if the Jags want to add depth at running back, the best course of action might be to wait until Day 2 of the draft, regardless of how talented the 2023 Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year is.
Tyler Warren, tight end
Evan Engram could've still helped the Jaguars next season, but they opted to move on from him to pave the way for Brenton Strange, who showed in 2024 that he's ready for a bigger role. The issue is that the depth behind the former Penn State Nittany Lion leaves a bit to be desired.
Granted, the Jags signed Hunter Long and Johnny Mundt to bolster the depth at tight end, but neither is suited for anything more than a reserve role. That's why it wouldn't be shocking to see the front office make upgrades to the position in the draft.
The issue will be how early in the draft the Jaguars should take a tight end, and it's fair to say that it would be extremely early at No. 5. This is a long-winded way to say that Jacksonville should pass on Tyler Warren.
This isn't an indictment on Warren, who is the best tight end in the draft, and nobody would bat an eye if he goes in the top 10. However, the Jaguars have bigger needs, so it doesn't make much sense to make a "luxury pick" at No. 5.
Will Johnson, cornerback
After the end of the 2024 season, cornerback appear to be either the biggest or second-biggest need (behind the interior offensive line) for the Jaguars. At least it was until free agency, when the team's brass inked Jourdan Lewis, whose flexibility to line up either inside or outside gives the coaching staff an intriguing chess piece to work with.
Cornerback may no longer be the team's biggest need, but that shouldn't deter the Jags from using a pick at the position in the draft. Having said that, they should consider taking care of another need at No. 5.
At that point of the draft, Will Johnson will most likely still be available. He's probably the best cornerback prospect not named Travis Hunter. It will be tempting to select him, but if Jacksonville doesn't pick him, there's a chance he'll slide out of the top 10.
If the Jaguars don't have another choice, and Johnson is their guy, they shouldn't hesitate to pick him at No. 5. However, they should also explore the possibility of trading down because they could acquire extra assets and still land him even after they move back a few spots.