Grading the Jaguars' 2024 NFL Draft Class

How do we feel about the Jaguars' 2024 draft?

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (1), center, holds up his new jersey next to / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA

The 2024 NFL Draft is in the books and the Jacksonville Jaguars have nine new members of their franchise.

With multiple picks in the fourth and fifth rounds and a move down from the No. 17 pick during the first round of the draft, the Jaguars made it an eventful weekend.

The Jaguars came out of the draft with several boxes checked, from adding a potential future No. 1 receiver for Trevor Lawrence and addressing the defensive trenches, which general manager Trent Baalke said they needed to do all gthe way back in January.

But what do we make of the Jaguars' draft class? We give our grades for each pick below.

1st round, No. 23: LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr.

Grade: A-

Brian Thomas Jr. isn't a receiver or scenario I mocked very often for the Jaguars. I truly thought they would try to address cornerback and add a receiver later in the draft, but it became apparent following the selection of Thomas that the Jaguars simply wanted to counter the loss of Calvin Ridley one way or another. They explored veteran options and none came to fruition, so the Jaguars were going to take one in round one, one way or another.

While I didn't have Thomas ranked this high, he is a positive value by the consensus board since the Jaguars moved down from No. 17 to No. 23, and that process has to factor into the grade here. Thomas is set to be one of the most athletic receivers in the NFL from day one, and the Jaguars managed to both land him at a better value than No. 17 and pick up three draft picks in the process. The Jaguars picked the player they would have picked at No. 17 regardless but went from four picks in next year's first four rounds to six.

This was a great process by Trent Baalke and the front office. It is an even better one than last year's because of the fact the Jaguars got a future third- and fourth-round pick as a result of their trade down. Baalke read the draft well here, correcting calling his shot that no teams would start a receiver run between 17 and 23.

2nd round, No. 48: LSU DL Maason Smith

Grade: B-

I am going to be higher on this pick than some, and that is OK. This was likely one of the more shocking pick of the draft for some people since few mocks had Maason Smith anywhere near a top-50 selection. He was ranked in the 80s on the consensus board after a lackluster 2023, but I am going with my gut.

I think Smith might be a slight reach, but I am unconvinced that he would not have been a second-round pick anyway. Simply put, few players with his kind of frame and movement skills come through the college ranks, and especially so in this class. Players with Smith's traits always go early. Maybe he would not have gone top-50, but I do not think there is a chance Smith would have been available at No. 96.

Likely my biggest knock on this pick is the fact that this was a selection where the Jaguars passed on several appealing options, such as Marshawn Kneeland, Michael Hall Jr., Ennis Rakestraw, Kingsley Suamataia, Roger Rosengarten, and Renardo Green. Still, I am a believer in Smith's traits. He was a mega-recruit who produced in the SEC as a true freshman, but the last two years have been wasted years due to his ACL injury and recovery. I think pairing him with Ryan Nielsen is a good bet on his upside, even if it is a risky one.

3rd round, No. 96: FSU CB Jarrian Jones

Grade: C+

Another player who was seen as a reach by the consensus board, it seems most mocks had Jarrian Jones going on Day 3. Taking him at the tail end of Day 2 isn't awful value, though, considering his athletic traits and the fact that there was a run on nickel defenders in the third round. I am a fan of Jones' tape and measurables. There seems like there is some untapped potential there despite his age and experience.

With that said, this is the one point in the Jaguars' draft early on where I am curious about their process. The Jaguars said they think Jones can play inside or out, but he really does seem like more of a true nickel cornerback. The Jaguars needed a nickel on their roster, too, because Darnell Savage will be used throughout the secondary.

The downside to this, though, is the Jaguars needed outside cornerback depth even more than they needed a nickel. Take Oregon's Khyree Jackson or another outside cornerback here and I think this is a stellar selection. This grade has less to do with Jones as a player and more to do with the Jaguars waiting so long to take a cornerback and then still not addressing the outside depth when they did decide on one.

4th round, No. 114: Missouri OL Javon Foster

Grade: A

It wouldn't surprise me at all if Javon Foster ends up being one of the best picks the Jaguars made in this draft. In most cases, teams need to spend an early pick on the offensive tackle position to find a worthwhile contributor. Finding a potential starting talent in Day 3 doesn't happen often at the position, but the Jaguars managed to find one here in Foster.

The Jaguars needed to take a developmental offensive tackle at some point in the draft due to Cam Robinson and Walker Little entering contract years. They were able to wait until round four to do so and landed a versatile and experienced tackle in the process. Foster might not be active for many games as a rookie, but he projects as a solid swing tackle with the potential to be more. In the fourth round, that is good value.

4th round, No. 116: LSU DL Jordan Jefferson

Grade: D+

This was the most questionable pick of the draft to me, mostly because of how the Jaguars valued the position. Jordan Jefferson is a true nose tackle prospect and should have a relatively high floor as a rotational player at the position, and the Jaguars did need a backup nose tackle. But with bigger needs on the roster, it seems like this was an odd time to trigger the nose tackle depth option. Jefferson isn't a bad player by any means -- he is one of the stoutest run defenders in the class. But the reason he was projected to go later than this is because rotational nose tackles just don't carry that much value.

5th round, No. 153: Ole Miss CB Deantre Prince

Grade: B

The Jaguars waited until the fifth round to add to their depth on the outside, but they did so with a player they were clearly high on throughout the process. Prince had a nice showing at the NFL Scouting Combine and should be a core special teams player at the very worst. He has more traits than most of their backup cornerbacks, too, which suggests there is some upside.

5th round, No. 167: Texas RB Keilan Robinson

Grade: C-

The issues with this pick are likely in terms of value; it is hard to imagine that Robinson would not have been on the board later than this. But the Jaguars added arguably the draft's top kick returner at a time where every single team now needs two starting returners. If Robinson can provide a few sparks in the return game as a rookie, he will have earned his draft slot. His speed and third-down ability make him interesting on offense, too, but he will be a returner first and foremost. This is early to take such a niche role, but he is a good one.

6th round, No. 212: Arkansas K Cam Little

Grade: C

I have zero takes on Cam Little the kicker because, well, I am not well-versed in kicker tape. He does have incredibly accurate numbers, though, and that has to mean something. The Jaguars likely saw the kicker run start and decided this was the time to pull the trigger on their guy, which I can't fault them for. It will always be a philosophy of mine to wait until undrafted free agency for a kicker, but I can't knock this pick much.

7th round, No. 236: Texas Tech EDGE Myles Cole

Grade: B

There isn't much to say about seventh-round picks, but Myles Cole is as toolsy as you can get in this range. I would be a bit surprised if he made the 53-man roster since he is so raw and so far away from being able to contribute, but he is genuinely one of the best athletes in the entire draft class. Those are the bets to take this late in the draft.