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2025 NFL Draft position preview: Should Jaguars add top wide receiver to roster?
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- 2025 NFL Draft position preview: Should Jaguars add top wide receiver to roster?
The Jacksonville Jaguars will soon be on the clock as the 2025 NFL Draft starts on April 24.
The new leadership contingent, including head coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone, will make their first selections in this era of the franchise.
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The team currently holds 10 total picks in the draft starting with No. 5 overall in the first round. They could go several different directions with the pick, opting to add a player from either side of the ball to have an immediate impact for the club.
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After a hefty professional free agent class joined the roster, the team raised their floor and unhandcuffed themselves from several positions of need.
However, they still have positions that are in need of additional help and that's where the draft will come in to play.
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2025 NFL Draft: Top-five wide receivers
Nov 17, 2023; Pullman, Washington, USA; Colorado Buffaloes cornerback Travis Hunter (12) celebrates a touchdown against the Washington State Cougars in the first half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
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Travis Hunter , Colorado, 6-0, 188, projected top five
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Tetairoa McMillan , Arizona , 6-4, 219, projected top 10
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Luther Burden , Missouri, 6-0, 205, projected first round
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Matthew Golden , Texas, 5-11, 191, projected first round
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Emeka Egbuka , 6-1, 202, projected late first round/early second round
Jaguars current receiver room is highlighted by Brian Thomas Jr.
(EDITORÕS NOTE: Resubmitted with alternate crop.) Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) reacts to his first down pickup during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
One of those positions of need is wide receiver. The Jaguars traded pass catcher Christian Kirk to the Houston Texans and released tight end Evan Engram this offseason.
The team added Dyami Brown to their team through free agency and have third-year wide receiver Parker Washington set to step into a larger role on offense.
Gabe Davis is recovering from a torn meniscus that cut his season short last season and will be rehabbing through the offseason.
Then there's former first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr. , a player who etched his name into Jacksonville's history books as the franchise leader in catches, yards and touchdowns for rookie players.
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Thomas proved he can be one of the elite receivers in the league and if the Jaguars add to the position with one of the talented pass catchers in the draft they'll have a dangerous pairing for quarterback Trevor Lawrence in Coen's new system.
Will Jaguars add top wide receiver to roster through draft?
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka catches a pass during the pro day for NFL scouts at the Woody Hayes Athletic Cente on March 26, 2025.
The Jaguars find themselves in an interesting position. As previously mentioned, their work in free agency allowed them to enter the draft without handcuffs.
But with the state of their current wide receiver room, they'll need a player who can make an immediate impact on their roster.
At pick No. 5, they have the opportunity to get the first receiver off the board. If Travis Hunter is available, he'll likely be the pick no questions asked.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Oregon Ducks in the first quarter during the 2025 Rose Bowl college football quarterfinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium.
But if he's gone, the team may opt to wait until the second or even third round to add a pass catcher. Of the above players, Emeka Egbuka would potentially still be available at No. 36 when the team is on the clock again in the second round.
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He would make a solid player to pair with Thomas for the future and add another target for Lawrence moving forward. Egbuka is projected to be a slot receiver and could replace what the team lost in Kirk.
If the team waits beyond that, they feel differently about their receiver room than others do and have confidence in the group of players currently on their roster.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: NFL Draft position preview: Could Jaguars add top wide receiver?
