The Jacksonville Jaguars turned heads when they chose to keep two undrafted rookies on the initial 53-man roster. Then again, the decision isn't that shocking if you watched Danny Striggow and B.J. Green II ball in the preseason.
Striggow and Green made the cut over Tyler Lacy and Myles Cole, proving that the Jags will go with the best available players. And just recently, James Gladstone explained the team's thought process.
The Jaguars are pleased with Danny Striggow and BJ Green II
James Gladstone met with the local media after cutdown day and said the team made Danny Striggow and B.J. Green priority signings after the draft, noting that Liam Coen and the coaching staff were highly involved in the process.
"Gotta give a lot of credit to our position coach and also our scouting staff who were paired together to sign those two guys after the draft, identify those two guys as the highest priority of the position," Gladstone said when asked why the Jags kept Striggow and Green (4:16 mark). "Because we didn't draft anybody at the position group. And obviously, at the time, that was something that in the recruitment efforts was intriguing to both of those guys and and they saw a path to potentially find a spot, obviously, that's been earned."
Gladstone continued, "And in addition, you talk about the basketball team of the wide receiver group being different genres. Sometimes it's pretty cool to look at how a position is constructed at the defensive end position. We have two guys that were top 10 picks. We didn't draft anybody.
We end up signing a few guys as undrafted college free agents, two of which end up making the 53-man roster as rookies."
"And then you got two veteran presences in Emmanuel Ogbah and Dawuane Smoot, who we signed after the draft. So it's a makeup of a room that is coming from all different forms of acquisition, and it's pretty cool to see that take shape, and people earn their ops and earn their place. Because I think as you guys followed us throughout the preseason, it became abundantly clear that those two guys were making a dent in real-life performances, and that was the case in our practice settings."
When they made the 53-man roster, Striggow and Green joined a well-rounded group of pass rushers that includes Travon Walker, Josh-Hines Allen, Emmanuel Ogbah, and Dawuane Smoot.
Related:Biggest winners and losers from the Tim Patrick trade
Danny Striggow and BJ Green may not get much playing time for the Jaguars
Making the initial 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent is no easy task. That Danny Striggow and BJ Green managed to earn a spot speaks volumes about how high the Jacksonville Jaguars are on them. That said, they may not get much playing time in 2025.
Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen are the team's primary pass rushers, while Emmanuel Ogbah and Dawuane Smoot are grizzled veterans who will take on a rotational role. That won't leave too many snaps left for Green or Striggow. That could change down the road, though.
If either Green or Striggow shows enough growth, the Jags may decide to move on from either Ogbah or Smoot. That could be as early as this upcoming season or next year.
The bottom line is that James Gladstone hit it out of the ballpark when the Jags signed Danny Striggow and Bj Green. Even if neither plays much in 2025, the Jaguars should be hyped up about how stacked their pass rush looks ahead of the regular season.
Here are other Jaguars stories you may also like: