Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone is the NFL's youngest GM. After seeing how the Jaguars handled the 2026 NFL Draft, some might say their inexperience showed last weekend.
To be fair, this team was already behind the 8-ball, entering the weekend without a first-round draft pick after last year's trade for Travis Hunter. Jacksonville's first draft selection did not come until the 56th overall selection, when they selected tight end Nate Boerkircher, who was projected to be a fourth-round selection by NFL.com and athleticDan Brugler.
Things didn't get any better from there, yet the Jaguars still had nine more selections to make.
Recently, NFL insider Tony Pauline of Essential Sports called the Boerkircher pick a "head-scratcher." He also called the team's fifth-round selection, DT Albert Regis, a "reach."
"When running back Jadarion Price was taken with the last pick of Round 1, they stood by and made tight end Nate Boerkircher their initial choice with the 56th selection. It's a head-scratcher to me because there were several better tight ends available, and I don't see Boerkircher being anything better than No. 2 at this position. The tight end they took in Round 5, Tanner Koziol, was a better value in my opinion. Defensive Tackle Albert Regis was also in reach in Round 3, as he has limited development and upside potential.
Essentially Sports' Tony Pauline on the Jaguars' draft haul
While some of her selections were heavily criticized, Pauline liked some of the team's other selections, but even some of them had flaws.
"On the other hand, Emmanuel Pregnon can turn in steals from the same frame, as he is a dominant, drive-blocking guard who is relatively effective on the move," Poulin wrote. "Why did he slide? People at USC told me Pregnon can be tricky, while others say he often slows down offensive schemes. Still, it was worth rolling the dice for Jacksonville. Safety Jalen Huskey and edge rusher Wesley Williams are two players I like, but I believe they would have been available later in the draft. Josh Cameron could be a steal in Round 6, as he's sure-handed and productive. But he lacks speed and has a funky body type."
Overall, Pauline gave the Jaguar a C- grade. Meanwhile, Brugler actually ranked the Jaguars last, suggesting that Jacksonville's draft class was the "worst" in the NFL this year.
Of course, NFL Draft grades mean nothing in immediate results. What really matters is how the classroom is viewed, one, two, or five years from now, when we will be able to better assess their actual impact rather than predicted outcomes.
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