JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – There was plenty of suspense and even more trades, but the Jaguars stood pat and watched the opening night of the NFL draft go by without making a first-round selection for the first time in franchise history.
Armed with 11 picks but no first rounder, the Jaguars had the cache to move up or stay put at No. 56 and wait for Friday night to make their first selection. The only question was if general manager James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen would make a blockbuster deal for the second time in as many years.
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Instead, the deals were fast and furious with five trades across the final seven picks, and the Jaguars weren’t among them. Deals at Nos. 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and a couple at 31 headlined one of the fastest first rounds in NFL draft history.
Jacksonville began the draft without a first-round pick for the first time in the franchise’s 32-year history. It sent this year’s first-round pick to the Browns last year in the trade for Travis Hunter.
The Jaguars’ most pressing needs entering the draft remain help on the defensive line and at edge, a linebacker to replace Devin Lloyd and reinforcements at tight end, running back and in the secondary.
Two defensive players who were thought to be in play for the Jaguars, Florida defensive lineman Caleb Banks and Clemson defensive lineman Peter Woods, both came off the board. Banks went earlier than most mock drafts had projected going 18th to the Vikings. Woods went off the board at No. 29 to the Chiefs. Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price went to the Seahawks with the final pick of the first round.
Jacksonville had a massive turnaround in the first year under Coen.
The Jaguars went 13-4 and won the AFC South. Trevor Lawrence developed into an MVP finalist and the defense was one of the NFL’s most larcenous (31 takeaways) and stout against the run (85.6 rushing yards per game).
The opening round of the draft went quicker than usual. The NFL trimmed the time that teams had to pick from 10 minutes to eight minutes this year.
The 2025 deal is now complete
Jacksonville’s trade up to No. 2 to draft Hunter last year now has the final players accounted for. The Jaguars sent picks No. 5 and 36 in last year’s draft and what turned out to be the 24th pick in this year’s draft to Cleveland. The Browns took defensive tackle Mason Graham at No. 5 and running back Quinshon Judkins at No. 36 last year, and drafted Texas A&M receiver KC Concepcion at No. 24 on Friday night.
The Browns, at this point, have gotten far more of a return than Jacksonville has. Hunter was ascending at receiver when he suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice that ended his season after just seven games (298 yards receiving, 28 catches, TD; 15 total tackles on defense). He showed serious potential at cornerback, too, and is expected to play on both sides of the ball again in 2026.
Judkins rushed for 827 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie. Graham had 28 total tackles and 0.5 a sack and made the Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie Team.