Cornerback and the offensive line are top priorities for the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason. However, they've been urged to beef up the defensive trenches at No. 5 in the 2025 NFL Draft. Of course, they can take care of other needs in free agency and later rounds, but the Jags have been linked to Mason Graham because he's dubbed the best defensive tackle in this year's crops.
In recent months, Graham has been the favorite to land with the Jags at No. 5. Following the NFL Scouting Combine, several analysts think he should be the pick, and that's reflected in most mock drafts.
Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports has Jacksonville drafting Graham, pointing out that the former Michigan Wolverine is relatively light to play defensive tackle but doesn't think that will hurt his draft stock. Here's the skinny.
"The weight issue is interesting, as Mason Graham measured in at 296 pounds in Indianapolis after being listed at 320 by Michigan. But is it interesting enough to hurt his draft stock given what he's put on tape through his entire career? I doubt it."
Bryan Fischer of Sports Illustrated also believes the Jags should roll with Graham, noting that head coach Liam Coen recently talked about paying attention to the defensive prospects at the NFL Scouting Combine.
You could argue that Fornelli and Fischer are just two guys and don't represent the consensus. However, Jordan Reid of ESPN and Mike Sando of The Athletic also think that Graham offers the best value for the Jaguars at No. 5.
Make no mistake, Graham is a pretty good prospect. In fact, he might not be on the board when the Jags are on the clock. Despite not having ideal arm length, his hand usage, along with his top-end strength and burst, makes him an intriguing pick at No. 5.
In Jacksonville, Graham would join an interior defensive line that includes Arik Armstead, Maason Smith, Jordan Jefferson, and DaVon Hamilton. All things considered, that group is alright. The issue is Hamilton has been a non-factor, and Armstead probably won't be part of the team's long-term plans.
Graham could make Hamilton expendable. The team's brass could designate him as a post-June 1 cut and free over $4 million in space. That would pave the way for Graham to join the rotation. On the other hand, Armstead's contract runs through 2026. Drafting Graham would ensure they have a young defensive line stacked with talent. He could form a dominant tandem opposite Smith for years to come.
Travis Hunter is the outlier for the Jaguars in mock draft
Even though Mason Graham is the favorite, Charles Davis of NFL Media went against the current in his latest mock and had the Jaguars going with Travis Hunter. Here's what he had to say.
"The Jaguars could use Hunter full-time on either side of the ball. How would they ultimately decide to deploy him? I'm guessing it'd primarily be on offense first."
As Davis stated, the Jaguars could deploy Hunter as either a cornerback or a wide receiver. When asked about what position he would want to fully focus on in the NFL, the two-way star said that it's up to teams to figure that out.
Jacksonville could use him opposite Tyson Campbell on defense or Brian Thomas Jr. on offense. Either way, he would address one of the team's top needs, which is why he could be the pick over Mason Graham at No. 5. In fact, adding him to the receiver corps makes sense when you take into account that the Jags just traded Christian Kirk to the Houston Texans and released Josh Reynolds in a cap saving move.
Having said that, taking either Armand Membou or Will Campbell has picked up steam in recent weeks because the Jaguars need to beef up the offensive line.
Both Memboue and Campbell played offensive tackle at the collegiate level. That's not a need for the Jags, so it's been suggested that they move them inside if they go to Jacksonville.
As you can see, Mason Graham is the trendy pick, but the Jacksonville Jaguars have many options in the draft, and will be virtually fine regardless of which one they take.
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