After going 4-13 in 2024, the Jacksonville Jaguars realized that they needed to clean house if they wanted to turn things around. That led them to replace head coach Doug Pederson and general manager with Liam Coen and James Gladstone, respectively. With a new regime in place, the Jags experienced an immediate turnaround, finishing 13-4 and making the playoffs now year.
One big reason Jacksonville's success in 2025 is that the organization found something it had missed for years: An identity. With Coen at the helm, the Jags became a gritty team that wouldn't let itself be bullied.
And heading into the NFL Draft, the Jags are displaying newfound confidence. You can truly tell that they're ready to build off their impressive 2025. And just recently, an NFL analyst took a look at the reasons behind their swagger.
Trevor Lawrence gives the Jaguars a reason to be confident
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports made an appearance on 1010 XL's Duval Rundown and said that the Jaguars believe they're building a solid foundation, arguing that they'll fortify the roster in the NFL Draft but don't truly have a glaring weakness going into it.
"Yeah, and talking to Liam [Coen] at the Super Bowl, and talking to them at the owners meetings, and seeing them at the combine," Prisco told hosts Frank Frangie and Hays Carlyon (12:14 mark). "This is a team, I mean, not at the combine, but the owners meeting. This is a team that believes in what they're doing, and it's the most comforting thing. And talking to them all, this is something that's come up. They don't have any real pressing hole. There's not a hole."
Prisco continued, "Every team has a hole. If they can go play tomorrow afternoon and be happy with who they have at every position. Now, do you want to upgrade? Of course, you want to upgrade. But the reality is they can play. They can line up tomorrow and have a guy they feel comfortable with at every single spot."
The truth is that James Gladstone inherited a talented core but made enough changes to round out the roster and fortify several positions that were in need of reinforcements. The offensive line, the safety room, and the wide receiver corps come to mind.
Later in his sitdown, Prisco names Trevor Lawrence as the other reason for Jacksonville's newly gained swagger.
"And that's why I think they're walking around with the swagger A and then B. Trevor Lawrence, I think they believe that the next step is going to happen, and if that happens, they're going to have a dynamic passing game," Prisco said.
Coming off an injury-marred season, Lawrence entered a make-or-break year in 2025 but ultimately rose to the occasion, registering more than 4,000 passing yards and a personal-best 38 total touchdowns.
Unlike last year, Lawrence won't have to rehab during the offseason. Couple that with the fact that he has a stronger grasp of Coen's offense, and he's poised to take his game to the next level.
Even with Trevor Lawrence in the mix, the Jaguars have their work cut out
There's no doubt that Trevor Lawrence gives the Jaguars a chance to win football games, but he'll need to help if they want to avoid being one-and-done in the playoffs for the second year in a row. The defense, in particular, could use reinforcements in the draft.
While Jacksonville has a well-rounded roster, James Gladstone must address the interior defensive line and the pass rush in the draft. The corner and safety positions could also use depth. But if the Jags manage to replenish Anthony Campanile's unit, Lawrence won't have to score 30 points a game to come out on top.
The truth is that it's easy to see why the Jaguars are carrying themselves with plenty of swagger: They've put together a talented roster. They just need to bring in reinforcements, and they'll be hard to beat next season.
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