The Jacksonville Jaguars have some clear needs as the 2024 season draws to a close, with some of the biggest ones resting on the defensive side of the ball.
With the Jaguars near the bottom of the league in most defensive metrics, it is hard to make a compelling argument for which need is most pressing between the defensive front and the secondary.
Do the Jaguars look to add a defensive back in the 2025 NFL Draft such as Michigan’s Will Johnson or Georgia’s Malakai Starks? Or do they build through the trenches via a defensive lineman such as Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham or Penn State pass-rusher Abdul Carter?
In the latest mock draft projection from CBS Sports, Ryan Wilson and Mike Renner have the Jaguars ultimately going with Graham over the other aforementioned prospects, though Carter was off the board.
The Jaguars had their choice of the field with Carter, Travis Hunter, Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders off the board. In the end, they nabbed Graham to play alongside 2024 second-round pick Maason Smith and the rest of the Jaguars’ defensive line.
Me and @mikerenner_ did a top-10 mock draft for @CBSSportsHQ and I had the Pats trading down to No. 7 with the Jets. Would you be on board with this if you were New England in exchange for No. 1 overall?
– 2025: 1.7, 2.38
– 2026: 1st
– 2027: 2ndPats could draft two OTs with… pic.twitter.com/vtJBBlbqMY
— ryan wilson (@ryanwilsonCBS) January 2, 2025
The Jaguars are likely to retain a number of defensive tackles moving forward due to their contracts, while Smith has taken a big step forward in recent weeks. If Smith can continue to improve entering his second season, adding another disruptive defensive tackle next to him in Graham could give the Jaguars a dynamic duo to build around.
“Some guys just take a little longer. Some guys pick it up a little quicker. Some guys take a little longer. I think it’s each individual basis. Really do. I don’t think that there’s just a science of… But really, when they all come to that point of the, ‘Hey, this is what I have to get done.’ They all say, ‘Hey, I have to do off-the-field things, take care of my body.’ It’s all the same things,” Jaguars defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen said on Thursday.
“It’s just when they really realize that, hey, those things really do matter, and maybe a guy—I’m not saying this for [DT Maason Smith], but he’s a really talented guy, and some really talented guys get by on their athletic ability, and everybody’s talented here. So, maybe that realization of, wait, man, I’ve got to work a little bit harder, study a little bit more. Like, these things really matter in this league. I’m glad he did that because you’re seeing what he—his future is very bright, and the trajectory that he’s on is pretty cool to see and how he’s working at practice. [Defensive Line Coach] Jeremy Garrett, those guys have worked really well together in that room and see a very bright future for Maason ahead. As long as he continues to do the things that he told you about the other week.”
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