2024 NFL Draft: How Do Analysts Grade the Jaguars' Class?

What does the national media have to say about the Jaguars' draft?

Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke, left, wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and head / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA

With analysts around the country now having a few days to digest the 2024 NFL Draft, it is time we look to see just how well the Jacksonville Jaguars' draft class grades out.

There may be no real connection to post-draft grades and actual success, but it is still worth looking at what outside voices are saying about the Jaguars' haul.

So, what do the analysts say about the Jaguars' 2024 draft?

PFF: B

"The Jaguars add another weapon to a wide receiver room that includes Gabe Davis, Christian Kirk and Zay Jones. Thomas’ calling card is his explosive speed and ability to win vertically. He led the nation in 2023 with a 99.9 PFF deep receiving grade and 12 deep receiving touchdowns. He’ll instantly threaten safeties vertically, and if he improves his route running, he has WR1 potential," PFF said.

NFL.com: A-

One of the highest grades for the Jaguars this year comes from NFL.com's Chad Reuter, who gives the Jaguars an A-.

"Trading down for three picks (including two mid-rounders in 2025) and still landing a downfield target like Thomas was a win for the Jaguars. Smith and Jones filled needs with good value in the second and third rounds, respectively. Calvin Ridley restarted his career in Jacksonville, but essentially renting the receiver in exchange for two picks (including a third-rounder this year) did not really pay off for the Jags," Chad Reuter said.

Foster provides depth at offensive tackle and could start in 2025 if Cam Robinson and Walker Little do not return. Defensive tackle Jefferson joined Smith in fortifying the defensive line. Prince is a great athlete at cornerback. Robinson will be a change-of-pace back and explosive returner. The team got backup quarterback Mac Jones for a sixth-round pick this offseason. Starting guard Ezra Cleveland was also acquired for a sixth-rounder last October; he re-signed in March.

Mel Kiper: B-

Draft legend Mel kIper has some of the most anticipated draft grades of any analyst, year in and year out. This time around, he appears higher on the Jaguars' draft than most. This comes a year after he gave the Jaguars' 2023 class a B.

"I wrote Thursday night that Jacksonville had a nice Round 1. GM Trent Baalke was able to maneuver the board, dropping six spots in a trade with the Vikings. The Jaguars got Nos. 23 and 167 plus third- and fourth-round picks in the 2025 draft, while Minnesota got No. 17. The Jags were able to fill a need at wide receiver with Brian Thomas Jr. (23), who can take the top off defenses and be a speed option alongside Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis. He can replace a chunk of what Calvin Ridley gave them last season. My quibble? Baalke could have gotten his pick of the cornerback class at No. 17. Cooper DeJean, Terrion Arnold and Quinyon Mitchell were all on the board, and each could have been a rookie starter for a defense that allowed 18 touchdown passes to opposing wideouts last season, the fifth most in the NFL," Kiper said.

Baalke's next four picks -- defensive tackle Maason Smith (48), cornerback Jarrian Jones (96), offensive tackle Javon Foster (114) and defensive tackle Jordan Jefferson (116) -- all went at least a round earlier than I had them in my rankings. Jones is more of a fifth- or sixth-rounder and the Jags reached for him at the end of Day 2. Cam Little (212) is my second-ranked kicker. Baalke threw a few late picks at his cornerback room, but I'm not sure that's enough for a team with questions there. I do like Thomas, though, and his contract is certainly much cheaper than Ridley's.

Yahoo! Sports: C

Yahoo gave high marks to the Jaguars for their selection of Brian Thomas Jr., calling it their favorite draft pick of the Jaguars' class. Risk/reward defensive tackle Maason Smith was noted as the pick with the most flags.

"The Jaguars' offseason has been just OK and the draft followed suit. They did a great job moving down from their original spot in Round 1 of the draft while still landing a big-time wide receiver prospect, which they needed after clumsily letting Calvin Ridley walk to a divisional rival in free agency," Charles McDonald said. "Beyond that, it doesn’t seem like they got too much positive impact, but if Thomas is the final key that allows the Jaguars’ passing game to be consistent in the future, it’s fine. Getting Trevor Lawrence another receiver was priority No. 1 and they might have gotten the best of the second wave of wide receivers."

Fox Sports: A-

The Jaguars get very high marks from the Fox Sports' staff, with the biggest bonuses coming from the selections of Brian Thomas Jr., Javon Foster, and LSU defensive tackles Maason Smith and Jordan Jefferson.

"Only time will tell, but the Jaguars had a great draft on paper. They were able to trade down in the first round from 17 to 23 to get Brian Thomas Jr., whom general manager Trent Baalke said would've been the pick at 17. He had been valued by many as a mid-first-round pick," Fox Sports' Ben Arthur said.

"Fourth-rounder Javon Foster, a standout offensive tackle in the SEC, could immediately step in as the No. 3 OT with a chance to be a starter in the future. Jacksonville also leaves the draft with tremendous depth and on the defensive line behind standout trio Josh Allen, Travon Walker and Arik Armstead."

Bleacher Report: B-

Bleacher Report gave the Jaguars a decent grade, ranking their class above the Tennessee Titans. At the same time, their draft ranks behind both the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts.

"General manager Trent Baalke took a couple of interesting fliers on Day 3. Deantre Prince might develop into a contributor in the secondary, while Keilan Robinson could become a change-of-pace alternative behind Travis Etienne Jr. However, it felt like the Jaguars reached for quite a few prospects after Round 1, and it would have been nice to see the offense come away with a more polished receiver who can complement Thomas' explosiveness," Bleacher Report said.

The Ringer: C+

The Ringer's Danny Kelly gave out a trio of C+ grades to the Jaguars, Titans, and Texans, while the Jaguars' grade ranks above the Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers, and the New York Jets,

"After trading back in the first round, Jacksonville grabbed a scintillating playmaker in LSU receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who brings sizzling speed but is still developing his skills as a route-runner," Danny Kelly said.

"Thomas’s former college teammate, defensive tackle Maason Smith, is another player with a high-ceiling combination of size and speed who may need time to mature. Florida corner Jarrian Jones fits the same profile. If this class hits its potential, we could look back at this group as a turning point for the franchise. But there's a lot of room for variance among the team’s top picks too."

The Athletic

While Dane Brugler of The Athletic didn't pass out draft grades, he did rank the drafts 1 through No. 32. Unfortunately, the AFC South has three teams in Brugler's bottom seven: the Tennessee Titans at No. 26, Houston Texans at No. 28, and the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 29. Brugler noted that his favorite pick was wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. at No. 23.

"I was underwhelmed by the Jaguars’ draft haul in Rounds 2-7, but I love what they did in Round 1, trading back and adding a high-ceiling receiver," Brugler said.

"After the Jaguars lost Calvin Ridley this offseason, they reexamined their options and were able to land Thomas, who has both size and speed. His route running is a work in progress, but that is due more to inexperience than lack of ability or know-how."

Pete Prisco: B

Former Jaguars beat report and current CBS Sports analyst Pete Prisco had mostly complimentary things to say about the Jaguars' haul. He noted the second-round selection of LSU defensive tackle Maason Smith was his favorite pick, though he questioned the Jaguars' decision to not draft an edge defender until the seventh round.

"I have been critical of Trent Baalke's drafts in the past, but this was a good one. First-round receiver Brian Thomas Jr. gives them a game-changer on offense that they've lacked, while Smith can be a beast up front. Trading down and adding picks in this draft and next year's draft was a smart move by Baalke," Prisco said.