The Jacksonville Jaguars are surely planning for all kinds of scenarios with the fifth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. There will surely be a handful that they'd prefer, and a few others they'd like to avoid. Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report recently talked about one that the Jags probably wouldn't be thrilled about.
Gagnon drew up a list of nightmare scenarios for all NFL teams and came up with two for the Jaguars. The first is the Tennessee Titans drafting Cam Ward, and defensive tackle Mason Graham getting drafted in the top 4 is the other.
"Jacksonville Jaguars: The Titans nail the Ward pick and prime Jags target Mason Graham gets snatched up in the top four as well. "
While Gagnon doesn't go into details about either scenario, it's easy to see why he laid them out. Ward could turn out to be the franchise quarterback the Titans had sorely missed for years. Sure, Ryan Tannehill had his moments in the late 2010s and early 2020s but was far from the long-term answer behind center.
If Ward lives up expectations, he could turn Tennessee into a contender. And if that's the case, the Jaguars will have a harder time competing for the AFC South title.
On the other hand, Gagnon probably thinks that losing out on Graham would be bad for Jacksonville because he appeared to be the favorite to get the nod at No. 5 for several months. However, running back Ashton Jeanty seems to be the frontrunner less than a week away from the draft.
Why the Jaguars won't mind missing out on Mason Graham
Mason Graham is the consensus defensive tackle in this year's class. His speed and power allowed him to wreak havoc at Michigan. However, questions about his viability in the NFL have arisen ahead of the draft. Couple that with his lack of arm length, and nobody will bat an eye if the Jacksonville Jaguars select somebody else at No. 5. For that reason, they won't shed a tear if the teams ahead of them choose the former Wolverine. But who could potentially poach him?
Cam Ward appears to be at lock at No. 1. The Cleveland Browns will either take pass rusher Abdul Carter or two-way star Travis Hunter with the second overall selection. One pick later, the New York Giants will take whoever the Browns don't, or Shedeur Sanders. That leaves the New England Patriots as the lone team that could draft Graham, but even they appear to be setting their sights on offensive tackle Will Campbell.
If the Pats do take Graham, that would clear the path for Jacksonville to draft Campbell if they think he could have a bigger impact than Ashton Jeanty. Either way, they would have options. Heck, going with Jalon Walker looks like a realistic path.
The bottom line is that Mason Graham could become a pretty good player, but there's no guarantee that the Jaguars will draft him. And if they're targeting him at No. 5, they'll have a contingency plan in case he's off the board.