The Jacksonville Jaguars may have tanked properly in pursuit of Trevor Lawrence, but there was no such "success" in the cursed 2024 season. Jacksonville, instead, has tripped backward into two straight victories, which could make picking their next franchise player more difficult.
With Lawrence sidelined by injuries, Mac Jones has been able to game-manage his way to two uninspiring victories against two of the worst teams in the league. Wins against the lowly Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans have essentially taken the Jaguars out of the running for one of the top picks in the draft.
While things do look a bit more grim for the Jaguars, especially after some more moving and shaking at the top of the order, Jacksonville is still more than capable of finding their next great player in this range.
Updated 2025 NFL Draft order after Jaguars beat Titans in Week 17
1. New England Patriots (3-13)
2. Tennessee Titans (3-13)
3. New York Giants (3-13)
4. Cleveland Browns (3-12)
5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12)
6. Las Vegas Raiders (4-12)
7. Carolina Panthers (4-12)
8. New York Jets (4-12)
9. Chicago Bears (4-12)
10. New Orleans Saints (5-11)
Thanks to Jacksonville playing in the weak AFC South, their poor opponent strength of schedule gives them one of the better picks among the four-win teams out there. With a few extra draft picks lying around thanks to years of trading, the Jaguars could move up in the order for a star if they so chose.
Jacksonville at least has the benefit of not needing to select a quarterback this year, which will enable them to use their pick to either get Lawrence a few extra weapons or improve what has quickly become the worst defense in the AFC. Cornerback and defensive tackle stand out as two of the team's biggest needs.
While the Jaguars have likely played themselves out of Travis Hunter range, standouts like Michigan's Will Johnson and East Carolina's Shavon Revel Jr. may end up in Jacksonville. In a strong defensive class, look for Michigan's Kenneth Grant or Ole Miss' Walter Nolen to end up on Trent Baalke's radar.
Winning a few games at the end has not been very advantageous for the Jaguars, but things could end up turning around if they land the right player with this pick and get the right offensive coaching staff around Lawrence.