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As one of the many teams beginning a new era in 2025, the future of the Jacksonville Jaguars will be determined at the 2025 NFL Draft. With the No. 5 overall pick in hand, first-year general manager James Gladstone and first-year head coach Liam Coen begin the first phase of their shared tenure under pressure.
Including the No. 5 overall pick, the Jaguars will begin the draft with 10 total picks. However, after being quiet for most of the offseason, Jacksonville has suddenly emerged as a potential trade candidate on draft day. Gladstone reportedly eyes a move up to No. 2 for Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter.
The Jaguars are not alone in their late trade-up interest, as the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants have reportedly received several calls for their picks at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Neither are entirely sold on their current positions and are open to fielding offers up until the clock officially strikes zero. Only the Tennessee Titans have outright declared they would not trade the No. 1 overall pick, which they confirmed they will use on Cam Ward.
As the final hours tick off the clock, the Jacksonville front office has not indicated the direction they want to take. With a trade still in the realm of possibility, the Jaguars have made it difficult to predict who they will leave Green Bay with from the 2025 NFL Draft.
Jaguars take Tetairoa McMillan in first round of 2025 NFL Draft
Maybe it is a trade down, or perhaps the Jaguars take the shot at No. 5, but they seem to have an affinity for Arizona wideout Tetairoa McMillan. Jacksonville has a plethora of defensive needs to fill, but Gladstone and Coen are trending toward using their first-round pick on an offensive player.
McMillan, the consensus top wideout of the class, excluding Travis Hunter, is currently projected to go late in the top 10 or early in the 10-15 range. However, with the Jaguars narrowing their list to an offensive game-changer, they are reportedly taking a close look at McMillan and Ashton Jeanty. Perhaps they go with Jeanty, but the 22-year-old wideout would be a better fit next to Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabe Davis.
The firing of Doug Pederson and the subsequent hiring of Coen signal the team's clear shift from a defensive-minded coach to an offensive guru. Jacksonville has a solid offensive core of Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne, Tank Bigsby, Thomas, Davis and an above-average offensive line, but still lack the consistency to be a truly elite offense. Adding McMillan as the final piece of a new-look receiver trio would easily form one of the most intriguing young tandems in the league.
After trading Christian Kirk and releasing Evan Engram, the Jaguars did nothing to replace either of their two veteran pass-catchers. Coming off a stellar rookie season, Thomas is Lawrence's clear-cut No. 1 option in 2025, even with McMillan. But despite coming off disappointing campaigns, getting rid of two of the team's top offensive weapons was still a surprising move. Gladstone and Coen clearly want to build their own regime, and McMillan could be the first piece of the new empire.
Jaguars trade at least one of their three Day 2 picks
Barring a first-round trade, Jacksonville will enter Day Two with three picks in the second and third rounds. Two will be their own, and the third came courtesy of a trade that then-general manager Trent Baalke executed with the Minnesota Vikings during the 2024 Draft. The Jaguars also own the Vikings' fourth-round pick, which they will use early on Day Three.
Given the amount of help their roster needs, it is entirely possible that the Jaguars simply use their three picks to address such issues. But on that same token, a trade-up into the back half of the first round is in play. Gladstone is currently exploring his options, including trading up and down.
Regardless of the decisions he makes, it seems likely Jacksonville will complete at least one trade, either on Day One or Day Two. Trading the picks for a player, like the Philadelphia Eagles did for A.J. Brown in 2022, also seems within the range of options.
Despite a 4-13 season in 2024, the Jaguars are not in full rebuild mode. As with the start of any new management, growing pains are to be expected, but Jacksonville's roster is talented enough to be a playoff contender. The general assumption is that Coen will immediately be able to gel the team's offensive talents in a way Pederson never could. Gladstone's focus should be on acquiring the best talent available to contribute on day one, and that will include making more than a couple of bold moves.
James Gladstone spends more picks on offense than defense
The Jaguars need a lot of help on defense. They signed Jourdan Lewis, Arik Armstead and Darnell Savage in free agency, but still have major holes on the interior defensive line and at outside cornerback. Linebacker is also a concerning area, with just four positional players on the roster and virtually no depth behind the starters.
But despite the clear defensive needs, Gladstone has work to do with Coen's offense. Getting rid of Kirk and Engram created jobs to fill, those that Brenton Strange and Dyami Brown do not appear ready to handle full-time. All in all, the Jaguars have one of the least complete rosters in the NFL heading into the 2025 Draft.
In his first offseason on the job, Gladstone, 34, has a track record of success as a scouting director but begins his new position as the youngest general manager in the league. Coen, 39, is only five years older than him, but has a much more established reputation in the league. Both begin their first year in their current jobs, and Coen has a clear vision he wants with the team that Gladstone is willing to take.
Nothing about the Jaguars' current situation will be solved in a single offseason. Coen's offensive background and the moves they have already made in free agency signal their determination to capitalize on the offense during Lawrence's prime years. Until a trade alters its current outlook, Jacksonville will leave Green Bay with 10 players, with at least six of them beginning training camp as new offensive additions.
