Back in April, James Gladstone went against the consensus on all but one pick, and the consensus on Gladstone was that he’d pay for it. Some had him pegged as the worst GM in the game before any of his picks had taken a snap. Six games in, that verdict is already falling apart. Not every selection has made an impact yet, but the early returns have been hard to argue with.
Early hits
Nate Boerkircher
Nobody took more heat on draft night than Boerkircher, a largely unknown tight end Draft Twitter couldn’t wait
to pile on. His box score is modest: six catches for 52 yards, and a one-handed touchdown grab last week that almost validated the pick on its own. But the numbers don’t capture what a key piece he’s been to the offensive success. Boerkircher has become the dirty-work blocker in heavier personnel packages the team desperately missed last season, and the Jaguars now lead the NFL in EPA per play (0.205) in multi-TE sets, with him playing a big role.
Emmanuel Pregnon
Pregnon was the one pick that lined up with the consensus board, and he’s delivered. He won the left guard job in camp and has started every game, with the ups and downs you’d expect, but he’s been about as good as you could hope for from a third-round rookie guard. The one thing to clean up is the penalties: six, tied for the league lead. That said, Pregnon looks like an absolute steal for the Jaguars and the needle is only pointing up for his potential.
Josh Cameron
Josh Cameron might be the best argument against the doubters. A polarizing wide receiver prospect in the draft community, he lasted until the sixth round and has delivered: eight catches for 117 yards, with sure hands and a willingness to block. He’s been impressive enough that he’s getting snaps over Brian Thomas Jr. He’s an even bigger weapon on special teams, averaging 27.2 yards on nine kick returns (245 yards, long of 46), and he’d have had a return touchdown if not for a questionable holding call. He’s added five special teams tackles on top of it.
Opportunities coming
Albert Regis
Regis was drafted as a run stuffer out of Texas A&M, which fits this Jacksonville defense perfectly, but he also flashed as a pass rusher in the preseason. He has played in just three games and logged 22 defensive snaps so far after missing the earlier part of the season with an injury, but that added versatility makes it easy to see his role growing as the season goes on.
Tanner Koziol
Koziol was drafted as essentially a big slot, and he wasn’t considered much of a blocker coming out of Houston. That said, blocking is almost all he’s done so far, and he’s done a solid job of it. He has appeared in four games, logging 30 offensive snaps, mostly in the heavy tight end packages that have the Jaguars leading the league in EPA per play, plus 15 special teams snaps. He hasn’t caught a pass yet, but he was a real receiving weapon for the Cougars, and it will be fun to see him get a chance to make a play on offense.
Gaps in the process
Jalen Huskey
Huskey was a third-round pick at No. 100, drafted as an experienced defender who knows how to play the game and brings versatility in the secondary. That kind of profile is supposed to translate quickly, which makes the lack of playing time tough to explain. He has been active for just one game, where he played two special teams snaps, and he hasn’t seen a defensive snap. A pick that high should be pushing for playing time by now, particularly with the injuries at safety, but that hasn’t happened.
Wesley Williams
Williams was picked just 19 picks later, and he came at edge rusher, one of the Jaguars’ biggest areas of need. He was drafted as an experienced pass rusher who consistently gets pressure, a high-floor, low-ceiling depth piece. That’s what makes it a tougher look: a player whose selling point is that he’s ready now has been a healthy scratch all season. It’s one of the few real knocks on Gladstone’s board so far.
TBD
CJ Williams
Nobody expected much from a sixth-round receiver, so 10 offensive snaps and 6 on special teams aren’t a concern. He made countless plays in training camp, though, which gives him a case for a bigger role if injuries hit the receiver room.
Zach Durfee
The seventh-round edge rusher out of Washington has been on injured reserve all season, though the injury hasn’t been specified. He’s expected back this year, so he could still provide some pass-rush depth in the second half.
Parker Hughes
Hughes was drafted with special teams in mind, an athletic linebacker and a sure tackler. He’s been on injured reserve all season, with the injury also unspecified, so that role is still waiting for him.
Early verdict
Six games is a small sample, but the early evidence points one way: the people who wrote this class off before it played a snap were wrong about more than they were right. Boerkircher and Cameron are already making real contributions, Pregnon has held down the left side of the line, and Regis and Koziol look like they’re on their way to bigger roles. The one legitimate knock is Huskey and Wesley Williams, two high picks who haven’t earned playing time yet. The second half will tell us whether that’s a blip or a flaw in the process.
Early grade: B
What would you grade this draft class through six weeks, Jags fans?
