We are officially a month away from the 2025 NFL Draft.
Obviously the name to know at this point is Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham, but as the days keep going, more and more names are coming up as likely draft candidates. This week we dive into some Graham talk but branch out into some other possible selections come April 24.
From SEC offensive tackles to yet another Penn State tight end, there are a handful of non-Graham names bubbling up that fans of the Jags should maybe start to familiarize themselves with.
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter
Take a drink if you have heard this before: The Jacksonville Jaguars should take Mason Graham at fifth overall. That is the thinking in this mock, this time from Reuter who thinks the Jags losing Roy Robertson-Harris hurt them enough to make the team need Graham at No. 5.
Graham’s quick feet, upper-body strength, versatility and consistent motor portend a successful NFL career. The Jaguars did not address their defensive line after trading Roy Robertson-Harris to Seattle last fall, so pairing Graham with 2024 second-round pick Maason Smith makes all kinds of sense.
Yahoo Sports Staff
The Graham to Jacksonville pipeline stays alive in this mock by Nate Tice and Charles McDonald. We also get a mention of arm length which is some good sicko Jaguars stuff.
The Jaguars could go in a variety of directions here, but end up with the explosive Graham. His arm length (32 inches at the combine) might scare off some teams, but new Jaguars general manager James Gladstone comes from the Rams, a place that has been more than fine with taking players who may lack ideal measurements or backgrounds but whose play does the talking. Graham in between Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker would create a dangerous front, while also filling a hole, with an interesting mix of skills.
Pro Football Network
One more Graham mock for you. The idea of drafting Graham to Jacksonville is consistent every time. He is likely the best player remaining. He is likely the best option to help the defense at that spot. And his upside should be too much to pass up if he is available.
There are a few directions the Jacksonville Jaguars could go in the 2025 NFL Draft, and with a new head coach/general manager combination in town, predicting their move is tough.
Hunter would be a great fit here as he could slot into roles at both cornerback and wide receiver without needing to be a full-time player at either position initially. However, with Hunter off the board, reinforcing the defensive line is the smart move for the Jaguars.
There are plenty of EDGE options to pick from, and they could move back a few spots to add more capital and still have their pick. However, staying at No. 5 and picking Mason Graham is a move they are unlikely to regret. Graham is a potential game-wrecker up the middle, and getting one of those is vital in the modern NFL.
CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli
Ok now let’s move off Graham. Fornelli has a right-field selection here for Jacksonville with Missouri offensive tackle Armand Membou going off the board at No. 5.
Armand Membou’s name is the one I hear most often as the guy climbing draft boards. It’s a combo of the tackle class not being incredible, and Membou’s size, athleticism and potential. Most mocks have had the Jags address their defensive line, but the offensive line could use work too.
The Jags obviously addressed the offensive line a good bit in free agency but adding a guy like Membou doesn’t look like it can hurt.
At 6’4”, 332 Membou has solid size and spent his entire career going up against the best players college football has to offer. Say what you will about NFL Draft scores and tests, but Membou put up the best overall athleticism score at his combine workout, the fourth-best production score and finished with the third-best overall score among all tackles.
Is drafting an offensive lineman ever sexy or even fun? Nope. Would it be smart? Just maybe.
NFL.com’s Mike Band
To be fair, this is a Graham mock. But not a traditional one. Band is part of the Next Gen Stats crew and he has a really solid track record of accuracy. Over the last five years, Band ranks fifth out of 75 mock drafters in overall accuracy according to thehuddlereport.com.
So… Band predicts the New York Jets trade up two places with Jacksonville to select Travis Hunter. That makes a good bit of sense for New York as the Jets will need someone to catch passes and hawk down defenders running after Justin Fields interceptions. The Jags get a third-rounder as compensation and move back to seventh overall to pick Graham, someone everyone thinks they will pick regardless of where they draft.
... Jags GM James Gladstone follows the capital-hoarding strategy of former boss Les Snead, trading down two spots while still nabbing the player I would have given them at No. 5. As intriguing as Travis Hunter would have been there, Gladstone and new head coach Liam Coen choose to reinforce the defensive line with Graham — consistent with Gladstone’s public emphasis on the trenches. The Jaguars staff already has a solid read on this game wrecker, thanks to assistant linebackers coach Kevin Wilkins, who coached edge rushers at Michigan last season.
Fox Sports’ Bob Rang
Here is another fun one. With the departure of Evan Engram, the Jags are left with Brenton Strange as TE1. While that was likely the play all along when Trent Baalke was running the team, James Gladstone and Liam Coen may see things differently. That said, Rang mocks Penn State tight end Tyler Warren to Jacksonville at No. 5.
The track record for tight ends selected in the top 10 is not pretty, but Warren is among the few elite talents of this class. Innovative offensive mind Liam Coen will be looking for any and every way to unlock Trevor Lawrence’s potential. Pairing Warren with last year’s first-round star Brian Thomas Jr. could do precisely that.
This mock is not so much based on fit but rather in the realm of Coen being able to elevate pretty much any offensive player. However, that might be as good of reasoning as any. Warren ranked as the No. 1 overall tight end at the combine (no surprise) and won the John Mackey award as the nation’s top tight end last season. More Penn State tight ends to Jacksonville. Why not?
Tyler Warren is an elite tight end prospect.
He’s cleaned up drops (15% in 2023 to 2.8% drop rate in 2024) and become an elite contested catcher (61.9%).
Warren is also a MONSTER after the catch, forcing 30 missed tackles in 2024.
TE1 for the 2025 Draft. pic.twitter.com/z5xmJ8df1O
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) January 17, 2025
NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah
Moving away from Graham for another mock, Jeremiah thinks the Jags still go defense in the first round. In this mock the defensive player instead is Georgia EDGE Jalon Walker.
Jalon Walker would form a dynamic trio with Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, with the latter kicking inside on passing downs to give all three players the chance to rush the passer at the same time. Jalon Walker could play off-ball linebacker on early downs and then rush off the edge when it’s time to hunt the quarterback.
Jeremiah mentions Walker’s usefulness at multiple positions as a reason for Jacksonville to be interested in him. At UGA last year, Walker played 622 defensive snaps with 195 rushing the passer and 178 in coverage according to PFF. He missed just seven tackles in 14 games. He even played 61 snaps in the slot.
Walker won the Butkus Award for being the nation’s best linebacker and ESPN’s Matt Miller rated Walker as the No. 4 prospect in this draft.
It’s hard to imagine a better coming-out party than the one Walker had against Texas in Week 8, posting three sacks and six pressures against the Longhorns’ two high-round tackle prospects. He followed that up with another big day against Tennessee (six tackles for loss, one sack) and added four tackles for loss and a sack in the SEC title game rematch with the Longhorns. He’s a dual threat as a linebacker and pass rusher, with the speed and power off the edge to make game-changing plays.
Obviously no one knows for sure what the Jags may do come April, but drafting a guy like Walker should not be completely off the table. For a team now focused on new-age scheming and analytics, a multi-position player for the league’s worst defense shouldn’t be a far-fetched idea.