Before you destroy our Facebook page's comments section, hear me out! Despite the tone of this article's title, I actually think it's a good thing that James Gladstone found enough talent to push one of the last vestiges of the Trent Baalke era out of the building. The Jacksonville Jaguars general manager made a lot of moves to re-tool the roster in Year 1, and his most recent draft found a couple of studs who will be able to help out on the line of scrimmage.
Usually, a team's defense matches what its offense tries to do. A vertical passing team usually has good corners and safeties. Likewise, ball control teams build defenses that force extra possessions as much as possible.
In the Jaguars' case, the franchise fielded the best rushing defense in the NFL but had moments where its own ground attack conked out in pivotal moments. However, Liam Coen established a great foundation in this area, as the Jags had the eighth-most rushing attempts as a team (489) and the fourth-most touchdowns on the ground (22) in 2025.
As Coen and his offense move forward, an aging veteran could be on the chopping block. Not because he's terrible but because it's clear the Jaguars' top brass went shoppin' for some blockin' this spring and are ready to turn to the youngest members of the roster.
Ezra Cleveland could be the odd man out once Emmanuel Pregnon establishes himself
Ezra Cleveland has been a solid contributor to the Jaguars' offensive line since he was acquired in the middle of the 2023 season. He didn't play much at first, but he quickly showed his value once he stepped in at left guard to help the team overcome injury troubles.
But fast forward to 2026, and Cleveland could be on the trade block because of the arrival of Emmanuel Pregnon and the hype surrounding an interior lineman with his type of resume. But, hey, if you think I'm just being a doomer, look at what Gus Logue had to say on a recent edition of the Club 904 podcast:
"Yeah, the first thing I look at is left guard Ezra Cleveland. I've always liked his game. I thought he was kind of an NPC when he came over in that trade from the Vikings," Loge said. "But then I looked at a little bit of tape and thought this guy can actually play.
Logue continued, "There are clips of him really finishing the play, finishing through the whistle, pancaking guys, and so it's not that he's like a poor fit for the Jaguars in terms of [wanting] to be physical and have [a] tough mentality. [But], he is more of a finesse zone blocker. And I think, [if] you look at the 88th-overall pick Emmanuel Pregnon from Oregon, he's likely to eventually, hopefully, take a starting job from either Cleveland or [Patrick] Mekari."
After his initial take, Logue clarified that Cleveland is actually entering the last year of a contract he signed while Trent Baalke was still in charge. So, there isn't as much incentive for the current regime to keep him over any of the free agents James Gladstone brought in last year to change the culture.
With Pregnon, the Jaguars have a dynamic prospect who had the highest production score and ninth-highest athleticism score of all the guards who participated at the 2026 NFL Combine.
In my opinion, the Oregon standout could challenge for either one of the starting guard spots during training camp, but Logue's perspective on Cleveland's expiring contract and unclear fit within Jacksonville's running game could explain why he'll be the odd man out if Pregnon proves that he's ready to play on opening day.
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