Just recently, Mike Silver of The Athletic revealed that the Cleveland Browns wouldn't have traded the No. 2 pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars if the Tennessee Titans had passed on quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 pick. However, that's far from the only tidbit he had to share after spending Draft Day in the Jags' war room.
After the Jags traded their second and fourth-round picks this year, along with their first in 2026, to move up for Hunter, they were set to pick next at No. 70. However, they ended up making a deal with the Detroit Lions to move back in exchange for two third-round selections in 2026. Silver says that wasn't the there two other scenarios that could've taken place.
Not long after the Lions called to trade for pick No. 70, the Los Angeles Rams also inquired about the selection. The difference is that they were offering a second-round pick next year. The offer was off the table when the Kansas City Chiefs took their target, Ashton Gillotte, with the first pick in the third round.
"A few seconds later, Gladstone got an offer from the Rams: their second-round pick next year for the 70th selection.
Now there were three scenarios: Try to close the trade with the Lions; accept the trade with the Rams; or stand pat and take the player they wanted. Before the discussion could begin in earnest, a collective groan filled the room: The Kansas City Chiefs, with a pick acquired from the Titans in last year’s trade for cornerback L’Jarius Snead, snagged Gillotte with the second pick of the round. With the Jags’ selection just four picks away, quick decisions had to be made."
Coincidentally, the Jaguars were debating on whether to take Gillotte or Florida running back RJ Harvey at No. 70. But once the Denver Broncos took Harvey in Round 2, and the Chiefs swooped in to poach Gillotte, they found more value in trading the pick to the Lions.
Ultimately, the Jaguars moved back into the third round, and after selecting cornerback Caleb Ransaw at No. 88, they took offensive lineman Wyatt Milum one pick later.
In case you were wondering, Harvey and Gillotte were 122 and 141, respectively, on Bleacher Report's big draft board, but it looks like several teams, including the Jags, had higher grades on both prospects.
The Jaguars won't lose any sleep over missing out on RJ Harvey and Ashton Gillotte
Mike Silver reveals that the Jaguars were targeting 30 prospects in the draft. Obviously, they only had 10 picks, so they wouldn't be able to get all of them. In the end, things played out well. Although they lost out on Ashton Gillotte, they ended up getting Jalen McLeon in the sixth. And in the aftermath, they signed Emmanuel Ogbah to round out their pass rush rotation.
Sure, Gillotte might've been the long-term No. 3 pass rusher, and Obgah may not be much more than a short-term fix. That said, by missing out on Gillotte, they had the chance to add a potential starter in Wyatt Milum, so not all was lost.
Similarly, RJ Harvey would've been a great addition to the Jaguars' backfield, but they managed to find another promising running back prospect, one that's faster and arguably better, one round later when they selected Bhayshul Tuten.
Of course, it's fair to wonder how things would have unfolded if the Kansas City Chiefs hadn't poached Ashton Gillotte and RJ Harvey had been available in Round 3. That said, the Jacksonville Jaguars are surely thrilled that they came out with Wyatt Milum and a couple of extra selections next year.