It Might Be Time for This Jaguars' Rookie to Shine

General Manager James Gladstone has had a polarizing start to his tenure for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He wasted no time sculpting this roster to fit his vision. He got right to work in his first offseason at the helm.

His work in free agency has been pretty spectacular. Some of the new arrivals have been the most impactful players on the team this year, including center Robert Hainsey, nickelback Jourdan Lewis, and safety Eric Murray. Their influence on this team can be felt even more in their absence, with the team sorely missing their presence the times they haven't been available this year.

However, not every move that Gladstone's made has been a hit. His success rate in this past draft has been much lower — at least as far as fans have been able to see so far. There's a chance that one of his most underrated rookie additions could start vindicating his work as a talent evaluator soon, though.

Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL training camp, B.J. Green II — May 10, 2025; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman B.J. Green II (95) participates in a drill during rookie minicamp at Miller Electric Center. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

Has B.J. Green II arrived?

There's been a lot of scrutiny for James Gladstone's first draft for the Jacksonville Jaguars lately. Following Travis Hunter Jr.'s season-ending injury, it made it highly unlikely that the team would get many contributions from their rookies this year. Things are starting to shift in Gladstone's favor, though.

Bhayshul Tuten had his breakout for the Jaguars last week against the Los Angeles Chargers, rushing for 74 yards and a touchdown on a season-high 15 carries. He'll look to start a hot streak in his next game versus a vulnerable Arizona Cardinals defense. However, he wasn't the only rookie to make his presence felt in the blowout win over LA.

Against the Chargers, Travon Walker briefly exited the game with a knee injury. That ailment held him out of practice this week and will cost him the upcoming game in Phoenix, too. In his absence, B.J. Green II stepped up versus LA. He played a career-high seven snaps, logging two tackles and one of the most encouraging penalties the Jaguars have seen this season.

In Week 12, the first-year EDGE got to Justin Herbert for what would have been Jacksonville's third sack of the day. He absolutely hammered the Chargers quarterback. Unfortunately, he was flagged for roughing the passer on a highly controversial call. He might get a chance at redemption soon, though. Head Coach Liam Coen mentioned him by name when speaking on Walker's injury:

"We obviously saw B.J. and Danny [Striggow] make some plays over the last few weeks... We're going to need those guys again this week to continue to elevate and step up and just go be creative, go be yourselves because we see it all the time. Every day at practice with B.J. and Danny on the show team. We see it every single day. And so, really looking forward to them taking another step in their development and obviously with that whole crew, it's going to be a huge mix. Like last week when we rushed it, and we covered it better — that together. It's not ever just one group or the other to defend the pass. They have to be in coordination, when it's connected [with] whoever's up there rushing, usually it's going to be good for you.”

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