Jaguars
Jaguars GM James Gladstone said that the team’s fifth overall selection would send a message about the team’s identity going forward.
“Naturally, that’s absolutely where your mind goes,” Gladstone said, via the team website. “We’ve had discussions on that subject a number of times. We feel good about the pot of players right now that we’re discussing, and that that would align with all the messages we would like to send to the locker room, to our fan base, to the greater football landscape about who the Jacksonville Jaguars are going to be moving forward.”
Jacksonville did not make any defensive line additions in free agency after calling it a priority early in the offseason. Gladstone doesn’t think there’s value to adding a veteran at this point and implied they will add to the room in the draft.
“We’re going to have to have some spots that are actually open for [draft picks] to insert,” Gladstone said, via ESPN’s Michael DiRocco. “So [adding] a veteran at this point could be just standing in the way. We’re going to allow these rookies to get a chance to get out on the field and help us this coming fall.”
New Jacksonville HC Liam Coen acknowledged the talent on their defensive line but also echoed Gladstone’s view of adding competition in the draft.
“I think ultimately, you’re looking to add some competition in there,” Coen added, via Travis Holmes of Big Cat Country. “We’ve got some really good players down there. I think we’ve got three first-rounders on our defensive line currently.”
Jaguars
Regarding his approach in the NFL Draft, Jaguars’ new GM James Gladstone said he tries to rely on scouts who have been following players rather than overinvesting in top-30 visits.
“There are other mechanisms that we tend to lean into to help us determine whether or not a player is, in fact, a fit for us more than just a singular touch point that would be a top 30 visit,” Gladstone said, via ProFootballTalk.
- In his pre-draft notebook, Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson says he would be surprised if the Jaguars didn’t take an offensive skill position player No. 5 overall.
- Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer is also among the reporters who have heard the chatter about Jacksonville going offense instead of Michigan DT Mason Graham, who has been widely mocked to the team at No. 5.
Texans
- Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer mentions the Texans have done a little bit of work on potentially trading up in the draft, which is notable because this year there are a lot of teams looking to do the opposite. Breer says if Houston moves up it would be for an offensive lineman.
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