High marks! Handing out our final grades for the Jaguars newest draft class

Alessandra Pontbriand, News4JAX Sports Anchor and Reporter, Jacksonville

Published: April 27, 2024, 8:11 PMUpdated: April 27, 2024, 8:53 PM

Tags: Jaguars, News4JAGs, Sports4JAX, Maason Smith, Trevor Lawrence, Jordan Jefferson, Cam Little, Brian Thomas Jr., Brian Thomas, Trent Baalke

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The NFL draft is in the books and the Jaguars made nine selections over the three-day event. The News4JAX sports staff hands out grades on how Jacksonville did as it attempts to get the franchise back on track after a disappointing finish to a 9-8 season.

The Jaguars draft class

Alessandra Pontbriand: B+

The draft is complete, and the Jaguars are welcoming nine new players to Jacksonville. I have two takeaways. First, the team made it a priority to make sure Trevor Lawrence had one of the best targets in the draft. They drafted a good wide receiver in Brian Thomas Jr. Second takeaway, the Jaguars like the Southeastern Conference. Six of the nine draft picks are from the SEC. An even finer stat: the Jaguars are only the seventh team ever to draft three players from the same school. BTJ will be joined by teammates Maason Smith and Jordan Jefferson who were both Tigers defensive tackles this past season. I think the Jaguars addressed the issues that they needed to: add a cornerback, beef up the defensive line, add another offensive lineman to address issues inside, and add another weapon for Lawrence.

Justin Barney: B

Jacksonville did what Trent Baalke said it would do — get bigger on both lines. They really, really needed that. But they better hope this affinity for LSU players pays off. Three players from the same school is an interesting strategy. The Jaguars added monsters on the defensive line in Maason Smith and Jordan Jefferson. In the offensive trenches, it took Javon Foster. My favorite picks were Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round and Florida State corner Jarrian Jones in the third. I’m not as high on Smith in the second round as my colleague Jamal St. Cyr is. I thought Smith was a big time reach at No. 48. I like Jefferson and Jones. Myles Cole as a seventh-round flier isn’t bad, but he’s raw. I’m not a fan at all of the Keilan Robinson pick. He’s a low-mileage back who did very little on offense in college. Jacksonville will likely try and maximize his production on special teams as a return man to take advantage of the new kickoff rules.

Jamal St. Cyr: B-

This is a solid class. Is it the LSU Jaguars or Jacksonville Tigers? However you want to roll with it works. I teetered on the line between a B and a C. I like most of the picks but quite a few of them were reaches. The thing that boosted the grade for me was the trade back in the first round and landing Brian Thomas Jr. That is a savvy move. But my favorite pick from the entire class is Maason Smith. The pick has grown on me. This is a home run swing. He has unique traits. He flashed in college but injuries held him back. Matt House was LSU’s defensive coordinator and saw how Smith handled the rehab and knows what he was asked to do in the Tigers scheme. Clearly, House gave Smith a vote of confidence. I also really like the Cam Little pick in the sixth round. The Jaguars have been searching for a kicker for years. Little comes across as a super confident kicker. If that pick hits, the kicker carousel will finally end and I’m excited for the ride to stop. Overall, this is a solid class with strong physical players. Trent Baalke said he wanted the team to get more physical and aggressive and those are the exact type of players they targeted.