The Jacksonville Jaguars went 4-13 last year, so it was clear something had to change. For starters, they cleaned house and brought in Liam Coen and James Gladstone to oversee a rebuild. The duo proceeded to address several needs in free agency and set their sights on raising the team's ceiling in the NFL Draft. It's fair to say that they did just that.
After a series of trades, the Jags made nine selections in the draft. Not all of them will pan out, but the expectation is that most of them will earn a role. Of course, that isn't great news for returning players, some of whom could lose their jobs to the newcomers.
In particular, these five could see themselves affected by the picks Jacksonville made in 2025.
The Jonah Monheim pick sends an unmistakable message Jaguars C Luke Fortner
The Jaguars drafted Luke Fortner in 2022 with the expectation that he was going to be the long-term replacement for center Brandon Linder. He wasn't, and after a two-year trial, the Jags signed Mitch Morse to start.
After one season in Jacksonville, Morse retired, and the Jags once again needed a starting center. They signed Robert Hainsey in free agency, showing they were no longer confident in Fortner. They doubled down when they chose Jonah Monheim in the seventh round of this past draft.
Monehim lined up at nearly all positions across the offensive line at USC but is currently listed at center. While he lacks ideal size and ideal length, he's got the athleticism and experience to challenge Luke Fortner for the primary backup role behind Heinsay in 2025.
The Caleb Ransaw pick sends an unmistakable message to Jaguars S Darnell Savage
The Jaguars safety room is in flux after moving on from Andre Cisco in free agency. They replaced him in free agency with Eric Murray, who'll join Darnell Savage in the starting lineup. Both of them are viable starters, but neither is what you would call a difference-maker. Also in the mix are Antonio Johnson and Andrew Wingard.
It's hard to tell how the position will look beyond 2025, but the team's brass drafted Caleb Ransaw to bring clarity. A cornerback at Tulane, he'll be making the transition to safety in Jacksonville. He could begin the season behind Savage and Murray but supplant one of them at some point.
Of course, Ransaw will have to beat Johnson before, but based on the team's trust in him, he should be able to pull it off.
The Wyatt Milum pick sends an unmistakable message to Jaguars OG Ezra Cleveland
Dating back to 2023, left guard was a glaring weakness for the Jaguars. Their plan was to let Ben Bartch recover from a knee injury he suffered the year prior, but he never did. And once general manager Trent Baalk, the team had no fallback, he pressed the panic button and traded for Ezra Cleveland at the 2023 deadline.
Cleveland struggled with injuries, but Baalke was confident he was going to hit his stride and gave him a three-year deal worth $24 million. So far, it's been a mixed bag, but it's fair to say that Jacksonville hasn't gotten enough bang for its buck. And while the former Boise State Bronco still has two years left on his deal, he shouldn't take his starting job for granted after the arrival of Wyatt Milum.
A four-year starter at left tackle with the Mountaineers, Milum will make the transition to guard. With Patrick Mekari expected to start at one guard spot, Milum could challenge Cleveland for the other. Cleveland's edge as the incumbent may be gone because the man who brought him to Duval is gone, so don't be surprised if he becomes expendable.
The Jack Kiser pick sends an unmistakable message to Jaguars LB Devin Lloyd
The Jaguars are non-committal about Devin Lloyd's future with the team, so it's understandable that they drafted Jack Kiser to fortify their linebacker corps. Lloyd is stout against the run but is a liability in coverage. Ventrell Miller, a 2023 fourth-round pick, outplayed him last year and could make a strong push for the starting job next to Foyesade Oluokun next season.
Kiser also struggles in coverage, but excels at rushing the passer. He wouldn't outright replace Lloyd, but his arrival provides depth at linebacker and allows the Jaguars to move on from Lloyd.
The Bhayshul Tuten pick send an unmistakable message to Jaguars RB Travis Etienne
Travis Etienne's future has been in doubt dating back to last season due to the emergence of Tank Bigsby as the team's primary running back. Speculation picked up steam when the regime that drafted him got the boot has increased since the Jags drafted Bhayshul Tuten.
Etienne is entering a contract year and is coming off a down season, so it would make sense for Jacksonville to trade him now and get something in return instead of letting him walk in 2026 for nothing. With Tuten in the fold, that's possible.
The fastest running back in this year's class, Tuten showed big-play capability in college. If he can fix his fumble issues and learn not to bounce outside when he's got open running lanes in front of him, he'll become a dynamic complement to Bigsby's downhill running style.