Category: Jaguars

Jaguars 2025 NFL mock draft roundup: The very early offseason edition

Let’s take a look ahead to the 2025 NFL draft with who the experts have the Jaguars selecting in some recent mock drafts.

With the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 2024 season behind us, now the focus really begins to turn to the 2025 NFL draft.

After a 4-13 season, the Jaguars will hold the fifth overall selection in the upcoming NFL draft.

Some of the bigger positions of need that they might have, according to NFL.com, include safety, cornerback, wide receiver, and the interior offensive line. I would also add bolstering the defensive tackle position to that list as well.

Of course, the caveat to all of this is that a lot will change in the coming months. For one, those team needs could shift depending on how free agency unfolds, and prospects will move up and down draft boards depending on how the pre-draft process unfolds.

While trying to accurately predict what the Jaguars might do in the first round might still be a little hazy at this stage of the process, these early mock drafts provide us with prospects to keep our eyes on.

So, with all of that in mind, let’s take a look at who the draft experts have the Jaguars selecting in our latest edition of mock draft roundup:

CBS Sports
Mason Graham, IDL, Michigan

ESPN
Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

NBC Sports
Mason Graham, IDL, Michigan

FOX Sports
Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

Bleacher Report
Mason Graham, IDL, Michigan

33rd Football Team
Travis Hunter, CB, Colorado

CBS Sports
Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

Yahoo! Sports
Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

The Ringer
Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona

NFL insider weighs in on Ben Johnson and Jaguars head coaching vacancy

NFL insider Albert Breer of SI recently weighed in and shared his thoughts on the Jaguars head coach opening and Ben Johnson.

NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated recently weighed in on the Jacksonville Jaguars head coaching vacancy and how top candidate Ben Johnson might view that opening.

On a radio appearance on 1010XL with Rick Ballou, Breer was asked about Johnson and the Jaguars’ head coaching role:

“I think he finds the job attractive,” said Breer. “My feeling, and this is just me talking, I think he’d want to bring in his own general manager. So I think you have the chance to be the most attractive job to him but I think it would be under certain circumstances.”


While the Jaguars made the decision to move on from head coach Doug Pederson, general manager Trent Baalke was still retained.

Baalke has been at the helm in Jacksonville for four seasons with the team having a record of 25-43. Under Baalke, the team peaked in 2022 with nine wins–which they duplicated in 2022–and one playoff win.

However, while there have been two–just barely–above .500 seasons, there was also a three win season and a four win season in 2024. The Jaguars are also about to be on their third head coach during that span.

“Now, does that mean he wouldn’t take the job if Trent (Baalke) was in there at all, I don’t know that,” added Breer. “But I do think he would want some alignment with the front office. In fact, I think that’s a bigger priority for him than quarterback.”

While Baalke is still in command of the personnel department, owner Shad Khan did elude to that for the right coaching candidate, and with a “credible” plan, a move could still be made at GM. Perhaps Johnson is that candidate.

Jaguars request interview with Steve Spagnuolo for head coach opening

The Jaguars announced that they’ve requested to interview Chiefs’ DC Steve Spagnuolo for their head coach opening.

The list of interview requests from the Jacksonville Jaguars for their head coaching vacancy has now grown to 10 individuals.

The team announced on Thursday that they would like to interview current Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo for that opening.

As ESPN’s Adam Schefter pointed out, Spagnuolo has already had interview requests from the New York Jets and the Las Vegas Raiders.

Spagnuolo has played an integral part in the Chiefs’ success over the last handful of years, holding the defensive coordinator title since 2019 and includes winning three Super Bowls during that span.

Spagnuolo is known for running a very aggressive defensive scheme, with the Chiefs ranking fifth in blitz rate this season.

From 2009-2011, Spagnuolo was the then St. Louis Rams’ head coach and he also held the title of interim head coach with the New York Giants in 2017.

Over those 52 games, he has a record of 11-41.

Stay up to date right here with all of the Jaguars’ head coaching interview requests, along with when those interviews are scheduled.

Jaguars hold the 5th overall pick in 2025 NFL draft

The Jaguars hold the fifth overall selection in the 2025 NFL draft. Here is a look at some of the top prospects at a few specific positions.

Following a 4-13 season in 2024, the Jacksonville Jaguars will hold the fifth overall selection in the 2025 NFL draft.

Selecting ahead of the Jaguars will be the Tennessee Titans at first overall, followed by Cleveland, the New York Giants, and the New England Patriots.

According to NFL.com, they have the Jaguars’ biggest positions of need listed as cornerback, safety, wide receiver, interior offensive line, and quarterback depth with Trevor Lawrence the only current quarterback under contract for the 2025 season.

With help from Pro Football Focus’ early big board, here are the top prospects at those positions groups. Of course, as the pre-draft process unfolds, a lot can change.

Cornerback
Travis Hunter, Colorado
Will Johnson, Michigan
Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame

Safety
Malaki Starks, Georgia
Xavier Watts, Notre Dame

Wide receiver
Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
Luther Burden, Missouri
Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State

PFF does not have any guards or centers ranked inside the top 50 on their current big board.

Overall, the Jaguars hold 10 selections in this year’s draft. This includes two selections in rounds two, four, and six.

Jaguars 2025 head coaching interview tracker

Stay up to date here with which Jaguars’ head coaching interview requests have been accepted and when they are scheduled to take place.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have now sent out nine interview requests for their head coaching opening. Below is a look at who those nine candidates are.

Kellen Moore (Eagles offensive coordinator)
Todd Monken (Ravens offensive coordinator)
Joe Brady (Bills offensive coordinator)
Liam Coen (Buccaneers offensive coordinator)
Ben Johnson (Lions offensive coordinator)
Aaron Glenn (Lions defensive coordinator)
Patrick Graham (Raiders defensive coordinator)
Robert Saleh (Former Jets head coach)
Brian Flores (Vikings defensive coordinator)

However, just because an interview request was sent out, doesn’t mean that it is going to be accepted. Based on reports, here is an up-to-date tracker with when these interviews are scheduled to take place and with which candidates.

For more info on these candidates, follow the links provided:

Ben Johnson: Saturday, January 11th

Aaron Glenn: Saturday, January 11th

Robert Saleh: Tuesday, January 14th

Now, just because there hasn’t yet been a reported set date for the other interview requests doesn’t mean that it won’t happen. But given the reports out there currently, this is what we know at this time.

(Please note that this article will be updated as new reports come in.)

Report: Jaguars head coaching interview with Lions’ OC Ben Johnson set

According to a report, the Jaguars’ head coaching interview with Lions’ offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is set.

One of the now nine head coaching candidates that the Jacksonville Jaguars put in interview requests for is Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator Ben Johnson–the most sought after candidate in this head coaching cycle.

According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, Johnson has accepted the request and the interview will be this Saturday.

Johnson has been with the Lions’ organization since 2019 and has been the offensive coordinator for three seasons now, leading one of the most dynamic units in football.

Basically, pick a category, and the Lions’ offense is likely ranked near the top of the NFL, with Johnson not only orchestrating effective game plans but oftentimes quite creative ones as well.

During the 2024 regular season, the Lions led the NFL in scoring at over 33 points per game. The also ranked ninth in yards per rush and second in yards per pass attempt.

Earlier this year, Johnson’s Detroit offense hung 52 points on the Jacksonville defense.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer wrote recently that he is hearing that Johnson is only going to interview for jobs that he would be willing to take. So that is a positive for Jaguars’ fans.

Breer would go on to say that Johnson has two specific criteria that he is looking for in a head coaching opportunity. One is alignment between the head coach and GM, and two, is that Johnson wants to work with an owner who is “willing to honestly identify” the team’s weaknesses and to “address them aggressively.”

Along with the Jaguars, Schultz adds that Johnson will also be interviewing with Chicago, Las Vegas, and New England.

Jaguars request head coaching interview for Vikings DC Brian Flores

The Jaguars announced that they have requested an interview from Vikings’ DC Brian Flores for their head coaching role.

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced that they’ve requested to interview Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores for their head coaching opening.

Flores has been the Minnesota defensive coordinator for the last two seasons. During the 2024 season, the Vikings’ defense has been one of the stingiest in the NFL, ranking fifth in points per game and 10th in yards per play allowed.

The calling card of the Flores’ defense is his aggressiveness, with the Vikings’ blitzing at the highest rate in football and from all parts of the field. Opposing coaches have also praised Flores for his ability to disguise those pressures as well.

Flores was a head coach for the Miami Dolphins from 2019-2021–a tenure that came to a rocky ending. He has a record of 24-25 over those three seasons, with a 10 win season in 2020 and a nine win season in 2021.

Flores is now one of nine coaches that the Jaguars have requested for interviews. As of now, it has been reported that Robert Saleh and Aaron Glenn have accepted their requests.

According to ESPN, Flores said recently that he would take every interview request.

Jaguars sign 7 players to reserve/futures contracts for 2025 season

According to ESPN’s transaction tracker, the Jaguars signed seven players earlier in the week to reserve/futures contracts for 2025.

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed seven players to reserve/futures contracts for the 2025 season, according to ESPN’s transaction tracker.

Now perhaps the question on the mind of many is, what is a reserves/futures contract?

These reserves/futures deals are given to players who are not on the 53-man roster and signing a player to this type of deal prevents them from negotiating with other teams.

More often than not, the players who are signed to these contracts were on the practice squad during the most recent season. However, teams are able to go outside the organization to sign current free agents as well.

This is common practice around the NFL in early January for teams who missed the playoffs. And as playoff teams are eliminated, they will do the same. These January additions help teams build out their 90-man rosters for OTAs, minicamp, and training camp.

Below is who the Jaguars signed to those reserve/futures deals:

TE Shawn Bowman
DB Christian Braswell
DB Zech McPhearson
WR Joshua Cephus
WR Austin Trammell
OT Dennis Daley
C Deiter Eiselen

For a look at what the Jaguars current roster looks like, minus their pending 2025 free agents, click here.

Early look at Jaguars 2025 free agents

Let’s take an early offseason look at which Jaguars players are set to be free agents in 2025.

The offseason has arrived for the Jacksonville Jaguars, so which players from this past season’s roster are currently set to be free agents?

While the focus right now is on the head coaching search, which includes upcoming interviews with Robert Saleh and Aaron Glenn, the attention will then quickly turn to free agency. This not only includes potential outside additions, but also decisions to be made about the Jaguars own free agents.

From a salary cap perspective, the Jaguars are entering the 2025 offseason with $35.95 million in available cap space, which ranks right around the middle of the NFL pack.

When it comes to free agency, players fall into one of three categories based on how many accrued years of NFL experience they have. Players can either be an unrestricted free agent, a restricted free agent, or an exclusive rights free agent.

With help from Over the Cap, here is a breakdown of each of those free agent categories and which Jaguars players fall into each one:

Jaguars unrestricted free agents (UFA)

This is the most well known free agency category. Players who are unrestricted free agents have four or more accrued NFL seasons and are free to negotiate and sign with any team that they choose.

RG Brandon Scherff
QB Mac Jones
IDL Jeremiah Ledbetter
LG Blake Hance
LB Caleb Johnson
S Andre Cisco
RB D’Ernest Johnson
TE Josiah Deguara
TE Luke Farrell

Jaguars restricted free agents (RFA)

The restricted free agent, as its name suggests, comes with more restrictions and is more nuanced. These are players with three years of accrued NFL experience.

The RFA’s current  team has the ability to place either a first round tender, a second round tender, or a right of first refusal tender on that player. When a tender is placed, the RFA is then able to talk and negotiate with other teams.

The caveat, however, is that if the RFA receives an offer from another team, the current organization has the opportunity to match the contract offer. If the current team chooses not to, they then receive in return from the other organization whatever tender was placed on that player. So, for example, if another team is willing to sign away a player with a first round tender, the new team would have to give the original team a first round draft pick in return.

If a tender is placed on an RFA but no other team makes an offer, the RFA will then re-sign with his current team at a predetermined contract amount set by the NFLPA dependent upon which tender was utilized.

If the player never receives a tender, they become an unrestricted free agent.

OT Cole Van Lanen
WR Tim Jones
LB Joe Giles-Harris

Jaguars exclusive rights free agents (ERFA)

These are players with two or fewer accrued NFL seasons. These “free agents” are actually not able to negotiate with other teams unless their current team decides not to re-sign them, at which point they become unrestricted free agents. Sort of like baseball, these players are under team control.

ED De’Shaan Dixon
IDL Esezi Otomewo

Robert Saleh, Aaron Glenn accept Jaguars interview requests

According to reports, Robert Saleh and Aaron Glenn have accepted the Jaguars’ interview requests for head coach.

On Tuesday, the Jacksonville Jaguars announced the eight interview requests that they sent out for their vacant head coaching role.

As of Wednesday morning, it’s been reported that two of those requests have been accepted and interviews are scheduled.

According to Josina Anderson, Robert Saleh will be interviewing for the opening next Tuesday, while Albert Breer reported that Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn will be interviewing on Saturday of this week.

Saleh was previously the New York Jets head coach from 2021-2024 but was fired early in the 2024 season. He has since been working with the Green Bay Packers and friend, Matt LaFleur, as an offensive consultant.

As the head coach of the Jets, Saleh had a 20-36 record with now playoff appearances or winning seasons. The Jets’ offense often struggled, but Saleh’s defenses, which is his specialty, were frequently among the more productive and disruptive units in football.

Glenn, meanwhile, has been the Lions’ defensive coordinator since the 2021 season. Even while dealing with a litany of injuries on the defensive side of the ball this season, Detroit still ranks seventh in points per game allowed.

In addition to interviewing with the Jaguars, Saleh also has a second head coaching interview while the San Francisco 49ers, where Saleh coached before heading to New York, are reportedly expected to make him an offer to be their defensive coordinator.

Glenn will also has head coaching interviews scheduled with New Orleans, Chicago, and the New York Jets.