The Jacksonville Jaguars have mostly gotten positive reviews for their 2025 NFL Draft class because they addressed many needs and managed to amass extra assets along the way. That said, not everyone has good things to say about their haul. For instance, Steven Cheah of Bartstool just looked for a reason to give them a bad grade and bash them as much as possible.
Cheah gave all NFL teams grades for their draft haul and assigned an F to Jacksonville, pointing out that you never trade up for a non-quarterback. But wait, there's more. Although the score was supposed to be based on every team's draft haul, Cheauh took the opportunity to criticize Trevor Lawrence. In fact, half his rant is devoted to blasting No. 16.
"I'm not going to waste everyone's time here - this was a horrendous draft and it's all due to the trade up. New GM James Gladstone is just 34-years old and he got taken to the cleaners here. They gave up a future 1st Round pick and more to move up for a Wide Receiver/Cornerback. No matter how you slice it, that's a horrible move. You only do that for a Quarterback and we're not even sure at this point that Trevor Lawrence is really good.
Do I expect him to improve under new HC Liam Coen? Yes I do, but the Jags were picking 5th with a Super Bowl winning HC last year and now they have a 1st time HC. There isn't a guarantee they'll be a lot better. If they give up the 5th pick in next year's Draft, they really set themselves back. "
For context, the Jags gave the Cleveland Browns picks No. 5, 36, 126, and their 2026 first-round pick in exchange for No. 2, 104, and 200. So basically, they gave up a first, a second, and swapped a fourth-round selection for a fifth to move up for Travis Hunter. All things considered, that's not a steep price to move up three spots to take a franchise-altering kind of player.
Already, Hunter has the best-selling jersey among rookie players. Similarly, he's managed to take the spotlight away from Trevor Lawrence. That will, in turn, that a bit of the burden off of him. Granted, the 2024 Heisman Trophy has yet to play a down, but he's already making an impact and hasn't even suited up. Imagine what he'll do if his playmaking skills carry over into the NFL.
NFL analysts are heaping the Jaguars with praise for the Travis Hunter trade
The lowest grade the Jacksonville Jaguars have gotten from mainstream analysts for their draft haul is a B-, you can easily make the case that Steven Cheah is an outlier. If that wasn't enough, his argument for giving them an F is flawed and crumbles under the slightest scrutiny.
For starters, where does it say that you only give up a first-round selection to trade up for a quarterback? That's an arbitrary rule he came up with. The Los Angeles Rams gladly gave up two first-round selections for Jalen Ramsey and would've gladly given up a couple more for Brian Burns in 2023 if the Carolina Panthers had shopped him. This is to say that picks are only as valuable as the team using them.
The Jaguars know this better than any other team. They had two first-rounders in 2020, and they used them to take * check notes * cornerback C.J. Henderson and pass rusher K'Lavon Chaisson. Neither had an impact during their respective stint in Jacksonville. Are first-rounders important? You bet, but the draft doesn't end at pick No. 32, and acing most selections in the later rounds is equally important to consistently replenish the roster.
Aside from overestimating the value of first-round picks, Cheah doesn't even take the rest of the Jaguars' draft haul. Running back Bhaysul Tuten should have an immediate impact. The same is true for offensive guard Wyatt Milum, who should vie for a starting job as a rookie. On top of that, the front office managed to get two extra third-round selections next year. You won't hear him talk about that.
Similarly, squeezing Trevor Lawrence into his reasoning to give the Jaguars an F for their draft class feels like an excuse to bash the team as a whole. Had he come up with a sound explanation for giving them a low mark, it would be understandable, but he didn't, so his assessment should be taken with a grain of salt.
The bottom line is that the Jacksonville Jaguars came out of a pretty good haul, and if you're going to argue against it, at least come up with rational talking points.