NFL analyst just made the Jaguars' draft haul look much better

Let's not sugarcoat things. The Jacksonville Jaguars have caught plenty of heat for their strategy in the NFL Draft, taking prospects way before the consensus big board suggested. While there's a chance it all will blow up in their face, the Jags deserve credit for doing things their way. Heck, they could be spearheading a new way to identify talent coming out of college, and we know now it.

Of course, it will take a couple of years to find out whether general manager James Gladstone was successful. For the time being, an NFL analyst went to bat for him, arguing that Jacksonville's draft haul isn't as bad as it seems.

The Jaguars got a B for their draft haul

Chad Reuter of NFL Media assigned grades to all NFL teams for their draft class and gave the Jaguars a B, arguing that three of their picks on Day 2 were a bit of a reach. On the other hand, he heaped praise on offensive guard Emmanuel Pregnon, pointing out that he can be a fixture of the Jacksonville offensive line for years to come. Here's the skinny.

"The Jaguars reached a bit for Boerkircher in the second round and Regis and Huskey in the third, though the tight end's athleticism, the defensive tackle's constant hustle and the defensive back's versatility could help them contribute as rookies," Reuter wrote. Jacksonville's best Day 2 pick was Pregnon, who possesses the strength and agility to start at guard for years to come."

While the Jags have been blasted for taking Boerkircher at No. 56, they've gotten widespread acclaim for landing Emmanuel Pregnon at No. 88, with some analysts calling the pick a steal.

In the end, Reuter gave the Jags a B and a B+ for their draft haul on Days 1 and 2. However, he handed them an A for their selections on Day 3, noting that he liked the Tanner Koziol and Zach Durfee picks.

"The Jaguars chose production over size in the fourth round, taking Williams instead of Dani Dennis-Sutton to bolster the pass rush. Koziol was a better value pick in the fifth round than Boerkircher was in the second. And in the seventh, they found Durfee, an athletic edge with injury seasons."

Later, Reuter comments that the Jags double-dipped at receiver after trading for Jakobi Meyers at the 2025 deadline.

Of course, not all analysts have been as kind to James Gladstone. For instance, Rob Rang of Fox Sports slapped the Jags with a D. Similarly, Nate Davis of CBS Sports gave them a D.

You may also like: The Jags keep one UDFA in this post-NFL Draft 53-man roster projection

The Jaguars are confident in their process, grades notwistanding

Vice president of football operations Tony Boselli got it right when he stated that the Jaguars aren't paying too much attention to outside criticism. Otherwise, they would have to fire all their scouts.

It's also worth noting that a high draft grade isn't an indicator of future success, nor translates to wins on the football field. Heck, they got pretty good scores for taking K'Lavon Chaisson and C.J. Henderson in 2020, and both of them flopped. On the other hand, James Gladstone has yet to prove that his approach works. Maybe it will, and everyone will owe him an apology. For the time being, though, it's perfectly fine to raise concerns about the fact that he didn't follow the convention.

The truth is that the Jaguars feel great about their process. And if their rookie class makes an impact right out of the gate, it won't matter what kind of grades they're getting right now.

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