In totality, I didn't like James Gladstone's draft for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He reached with premium resources and left the weekend with the same holes on the roster. However, he did make one pick that gives Jaguars fans a reason to be optimistic about the defense.
Parker Hughes is one of the more athletic and productive athletes the Jags could have drafted with the 240th pick. He ran a 4.40 40-yard dash at his pro day and compiled 26 solo tackles and two interceptions during his senior season at Middle Tennessee State. His stats also show that he gradually got better every year he stayed in college.
While it would take an explosive, unlikely, and unpredictable training camp to take a starting spot from one of the veterans on the roster, there is a great chance Hughes could become the Jaguars' next great special teamer before we know it. Because of that, I'm actually very high on this move by Gladstone.
Parker Hughes could be the best Jaguars pound-for-pound pick of the whole draft
Deep in the seventh round, the Jaguars found a linebacker with 4.40 speed at almost 230 pounds and an experienced football player who continued to develop as he faced good FBS competition. He will be a coverage guy on kickoffs and punts during his rookie year, and maybe even his second year, but there is a decent chance that he develops into a coverage specialist who can use his ability to help out in nickel packages.
Luckily, we still have preseason games that will allow us to see Hughes in action when the time comes. Devin Lloyd had the best year of his career in Anthony Campanile's aggressive scheme, as it relies on the linebackers who aren't blitzing to cover a lot of space while executing disguised looks. As you can deduce, that requires off-ball backers with a lot of athleticism.
Now, Hughes being selected at the back end of the seventh round almost guarantees that Ventrell Miller will be Lloyd's successor in 2026. That isn't bad news, however, because the coaching staff needs to see what Miller brings to the table before it's time to make a call about his long-term future with the franchise.
At worst, the Jags got a speedy member of the front seven who will develop into a defender who comes in on obvious passing downs. At best, the Jaguars found a guy who will follow in Miller's footsteps one day and lock down one of the outside linebacker spots for years to come. Considering where he was picked, that's all you can ask for.
Grade: A
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