It was certainly an interesting Day 2 for the Jacksonville Jaguars, which is why I still think it's wise to respect the opinions of national analysts like Todd McShay when it comes to the NFL Draft. No, he doesn't hate the Jags or have beef with James Gladstone. In fact, it would behoove him to keep his intel sources happy and respected when possible.
However, it's also part of the job to single individuals out when they don't meet the grade, and in 2026, McShay's primary target was Jacksonville.
Todd McShay ponders "where's the value?" for two Jaguars NFL Draft choices in 2026
The Ringer's NFL Draft analyst only criticized three of Friday's 68 total draft choices in his Saturday morning newsletter, but a pair of them came from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Regarding the team's No. 56 overall selection, Texas A&M tight end Nate Boerkircher, McShay thought there were better alternatives:
"Boerkircher has some traits, but he ranked 284th on my board and went ahead of three tight ends—Marlin Klein (84), Sam Roush (89), and Eli Rarido (147)—who I think offer just as much upside and higher floors as prospects," McShay wrote.
It certainly made some of the content I did live a little easier to stomach. You never want to rip into a kid's future, but I noted the Boerkircher selection caused an uproar among Jaguars fans, and I graded the Nate Boerkircher pick as an "F" live.
McShay also took aim at James Gladstone's 100th overall selection, which was Maryland safety Jalen Huskey:
The Huskey pick also took me by surprise," McShay wrote. "He isn't an elite athlete and doesn't offer much as a run defender, but he did have impressive ball production in college, with 11 interceptions over his final three seasons. Still, while I appreciate taking swings on traits and uncovering talent, there's value in understanding the board and maximizing when you take those players.
I had a similar reaction to the Huskey selection live, too. While he will provide serviceable help at the position, USC's Kamari Ramsey, Penn State's Zakee Wheatley, and Kansas State's VJ Payne bring more athletic juice to the table.
Huskey could still be a quality player, but you have to manage the NFL Draft's limited resources carefully. If other NFL teams had Huskey in the 200s on their board like McShay, Gladstone could have prioritized a few other targets with the last pick of Round 3.
No, Todd McShay isn't always right. But, he's also not always wrong. Especially as the Travis Hunter trade hasn't aged with grace, James Gladstone's savvy has come under scrutiny in just one night as Jaguars GM.
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