There's no doubt that Trent Baalke was a polarizing figure during his stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The embattled general manager played a role in moving from the Urban Meyer era, bringing in several impact players in 2022. On the other hand, he routinely caught heat for his baffling roster decisions and his less-than-stellar reputation across the league.
In the end, Jacksonville moved on from Baalke in 2025 to make room for Liam Coen and James Gladstone. But just recently, an NFL analyst put the spotlight on what might have been his best draft class.
Trent Baalke and the Jaguars got an A in CBS Sports' 2023 NFL Draft regrade
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports revisited the 2023 NFL draft and assigned new grades based on how things have played out. He originally gave the Jaguars a B+ but handed them an A in the regrade because five of their 13 picks are set to start next season.
"I liked the idea of trading down to add picks and still landing Harrison," Prisco wrote. "I didn't love the pick of Strange, which has proven to be a miss by me, but I also didn't like the Bigsby pick, which is a win for me. I liked fifth-round edge Yasir Abdullah, who has been little more than a backup, and also thought Johnson would be a good player."
For context, the Jags originally had the 24th overall pick. They moved to No. 25 in return for a fifth and a seventh. They then moved from No. 25 to No. 27 in exchange for a fourth-rounder. Trent Baalke then used those picks to select Anton Harrison (No. 27), defensive tackle Tyler Lacy (No. 130), safety Antonio Johnson (No. 160), and defensive lineman Derek Parish (No. 240).
Harrison and Johnson are coming off career seasons, while Lacy and Parish are no longer in Jacksonville. The team's brass has also cut ties with running back Tank Bigsby (third-round), offensive lineman Cooper Hodges (sixth-round), and safety Erick Hallett (sixth-round).
Aside from Harrison and Johnson, linebacker Ventrell Miller (fourth-round), wide receiver Parker Washington (sixth-round), and tight end Brenton Strange (second-round) are set to start.
All things considered, the Jaguars got an appropriate regrade because it's not often that you can come out of a draft with five starters. Moreover, nearly all of them appear to be part of the team's long-term plans. In particular, Jacksonville is engaging in contract talks with Strange and Washington. Based on how things play out next season, extending Johnson and Miller could become a priority.
On the other hand, the Jags have a bit of a cushion with Harrison after picking up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. His contract runs through 2025, so they can wait a bit before giving him an extension.
Aside from Jacksonville, six other teams were given an A or better: the Houston Texans, the Detroit Lions, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Chicago Bears got As. The Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks got an A+.
Trent Baalke stacked the Jaguars with talent (but failed to put together a Super Bowl roster)
Trent Baalke hit it out of the ballpark with his 2023 draft haul. The issue is that his misses were more than his hits. Heck, the Jaguars had to spend big in 2024 because they simply had too many glaring holes. To make matters worse, most of the additions didn't pan out.
Jacksonville signed cornerback Ronald Darby, defensive tackle Arik Armstead, center Mitch Morse, and wide receiver Gabe Davis. Of the bunch, only Armstead is still around, and he's been a mixed bag. The former Oregon Duck was moved to defensive end in 2024 and failed to make an impact. He switched back to the interior trenches last year. He fared much better but cooled down as the year progressed.
On the other hand, Baalke had to bring in Morse because 2022 third-round pick Luke Fortner was a bust. Davis was supposed to give the offense a big-play capability but was underwhelming in his lone season. Similarly, Darby struggled and was benched as 2024 progressed.
And this is pretty much how Trent Baalke's stint with the Jaguars played out. He would bring in impact players every now and then but also had enough blunders that left the roster with glaring needs. Rightly, the franchise moved on from him, but nobody can deny that the 2023 draft was one of his best moments.
Add us as a preferred source on Google