Where the Jaguars' 2025 Draft Class Stands After Year 1

The Jacksonville Jaguars' draft class has a big year coming in 2026.

Jan 4, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone looks on from the sideline against the Tennessee Titans during the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are looking to use 2025 as a launching point. As great of a season as they had, they understand they have to improve to make another run in 2026.

A big part of their ability to do so will be the development of the 2025 draft class. Led by Travis Hunter, the class is set to be a central part of how the 2026 roster shakes out. So, where does the Jaguars' class stand today amongst its peers after their first season?

Jaguars' Draft Gade

NFL.com's Gennaro Filice recently ranked all 32 draft classes from a year ago and placed the Jaguars at a likely unwelcomed spot: No. 30 and a C-, with only the Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers beneath them.

"Entering the 2025 season, no rookie garnered more intrigue than Travis Hunter. Shoot, he was one of the most fascinating individuals in the entire league, spawning wonder with his two-way play. Would the Heisman Trophy winner’s throwback workload translate to the modern NFL?" Filice said.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) yells as his is introduced before an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Texans 17-10. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Sadly, the experiment ended before Halloween -- and just when it was getting good! Following a breakout offensive performance against the Rams in London -- Hunter corralled eight passes for 101 yards (both season highs) and his first touchdown in the Week 7 game -- the No. 2 overall pick suffered a non-contact knee injury in practice that abruptly ended his debut campaign."

"It felt like a cruel tease, as the Jaguars were still figuring out how to properly manage Hunter’s deployment. Now we all have to wait until next season. GM James Gladstone continues to stress that the two-way plan remains the same, but it’s annoying to exit Year 1 without proof of concept," Filice said.

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen looks to the video scoreboard with wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) during the fourth quarter of an NFL football matchup, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Seahawks defeated the Jaguars 20-12. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While Hunter is the biggest and most important piece of the Jaguars' rookie class, he is far from the only one. Hunter's role in 2026 and the Jaguars' usage of his two-way ability could have a big impact on the ceiling of the team, but the floor of the team could be defined by other second-year players such as running back Bhayshul Tuten, safety Caleb Ransaw, and offensive lineman Wyatt Milum.

Hunter, Ransaw, and Milum -- the Jaguars' first three picks in 2025 -- all faced injuries as rookies that kept them off the field and limited the draft's impact as rookies. But with them returning in 2026, the Jaguars' hope is that the arrow points up. After all, one year does not make or break a rookie class.

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) returns a kick off in the first quarter during an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"I think it may be a misconception that there was endlessly—that the players we drafted in Los Angeles were immediate contributors as rookies where that wasn't truly the case. Now, at the end when you think back to [Rams WR] Puka Nacua having a significant role as a rookie and then [Rams LB] Jared Verse and [Rams DE] Braden Fiske having significant roles as rookies, that can maybe overshadow what the year-over-year outlook was," Jaguars general manager James Gladstone said last month.

"Like [Rams RB] Kyren Williams and [Rams S] Quentin Lake who both received contract extensions this year did not play as rookies. They were both injured that season. So I think that that's probably a fair representation of what now is the Jacksonville Jaguars and having seen multiple rookies have injuries surface, that you can think back to like, ‘Oh, wait—’ and also as I consider who took jumps in their third year or now fourth year with the Jacksonville Jaguars and we're quick to rush to an assumption around whether that was some version of a hit or a miss."

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