Story by
NFL Draft: Jacksonville Jaguars to select fifth overall. Travis Hunter an unlikely prize
- Story by
- NFL Draft: Jacksonville Jaguars to select fifth overall. Travis Hunter an unlikely prize
We know the Jacksonville Jaguars will be picking in the top 10 of the 2025 NFL Draft, but there's one game left to determine the final position.
After Sunday's 20-13 win over the Tennessee Titans , the Jaguars moved down a couple of spots in the upcoming draft from third to fifth overall, according to Tankathon.com.
Advertisement
The shift would likely take the team out of the running for talented do-it-all Colorado cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter and potentially out of the running for one of the Michigan defenders, defensive lineman Mason Graham and cornerback Will Johnson.
MAX EFFORT: Jacksonville Jaguars Andrew Wingard, Mitch Morse promise team's best effort in final game
The draft doesn't stop after those three players, however, and there could be some intriguing talent Jacksonville snags after the consensus "elite" players are off the board.
Last year's draft for Jacksonville proves the draft is primarily a crapshoot. The team moved down from pick No. 17 to 23 and selected this year's top rookie receiver, Brian Thomas Jr.
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) takes a selfie with fans before an NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Thomas has proven to be an ascending, potentially elite receiver in the NFL after his first 16 games.
Advertisement
Thomas has caught 80 passes for 1,179 yards (14.7 yards per catch) and 10 touchdowns. He's among just four players this year with at least 1,100-plus yards and 10-plus touchdowns this season.
The draft doesn't end after the first non-quarterback is taken, and Jacksonville is in a prime spot to bolster their talent after likely change occurs after this season.
Have the Jaguars selected fifth overall in the NFL Draft before?
April 27, 2012; Jacksonville FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars first round draft pick Justin Blackmon (left) listens to owner Shad Khan (right) during a press conference at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports
Yes, the Jaguars have selected fifth overall twice in their 30-year history.
The Jaguars first drafted fifth overall during the 2012 NFL Draft. They traded up from pick No. 7 to No. 5 to select former Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon. The Jaguars traded Nos. 7 and 101 overall for the fifth-overall pick with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to make it happen.
Advertisement
Blackmon fell just as quickly as he rose in the NFL with Jacksonville.
In his rookie season, the wideout caught 64 passes for 865 yards and five touchdowns. Blackmon went on to play just four more games in the NFL after that, though, falling victim to substance abuse issues that forced him out of the league through multiple suspensions until he was permanently exiled from the league in 2014.
In his career, Blackmon caught 93 passes for 1,280 yards and six touchdowns. He caught four passes for 31 yards in his final game in the NFL, Week 8 against the San Francisco 49ers in 2013.
Blackmon held the franchise rookie receiving record for yards, but that was surpassed by Thomas earlier this season.
Jacksonville's second attempt at a fifth-overall pick turned out far better, but only for slightly longer after the team selected former Florida State cornerback Jalen Ramsey in 2016.
Advertisement
Ramsey immediately solidified himself as the team's top defender when he stepped onto the field in his rookie season in 2016. He posted two interceptions, including a touchdown, 14 pass breakups, a forced fumble and 65 total tackles through 16 games in 2016. He received 10 votes for the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year behind San Diego Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa .
Ramsey continued to ascend into the upper echelon of defenders in the league the following year when he earned first-team All-Pro honors and helped Jacksonville reach the AFC Championship game.
However, the star cornerback would play just 51 total games for Jacksonville, traded halfway through the 2019 season after he became disgruntled following an argument during and after the team's Week 2 game against the Houston Texans that year. He was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 6 in exchange for two first-round picks (2020 and 2021) and a 2021 fourth-round pick.
Ramsey is now with the Miami Dolphins in his ninth season in the NFL
Advertisement
Ramsey has played in 131 games (130 starts), accounting for 106 pass breakups, 24 interceptions, six forced fumbles and 523 total tackles. He is a likely Hall of Fame player when he hangs up the cleats.
2025 NFL Draft order: Jaguars set to select fifth overall in Green Bay
The 2025 NFL Draft is slated to be held around Lambeau Field in the Titletown District in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on April 24-26.
After Week 17, the Jaguars hold the fifth-overall pick.
Here is the current 2025 NFL Draft order, according to Tankathon.com :
| Pick |
Team |
Record |
SOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
3-13 |
0.469 |
|
| 2 |
Tennessee |
3-13 |
0.511 |
| 3 |
3-13 |
0.539 |
|
| 4 |
3-13 |
0.550 |
|
| 5 |
Jacksonville |
4-12 |
0.472 |
| 6 |
Carolina |
4-12 |
0.498 |
| 7 |
4-12 |
0.502 |
|
| 8 |
4-12 |
0.546 |
|
| 9 |
4-12 |
0.552 |
|
| 10 |
5-11 |
0.509 |
|
| 11 |
6-9 |
0.565 |
|
| 12 |
7-9 |
0.458 |
|
| 13 |
7-9 |
0.517 |
|
| 14 |
7-9 |
0.537 |
|
| 15 |
Miami |
8-8 |
0.417 |
| 16 |
8-8 |
0.476 |
|
| 17 |
8-7 |
0.517 |
|
| 18 |
9-7 |
0.507 |
|
| 19 |
Houston |
9-7 |
0.483 |
| 20 |
9-7 |
0.502 |
|
| 21 |
9-7 |
0.506 |
|
| 22 |
10-6 |
0.469 |
|
| 23 |
LA Rams |
10-6 |
0.506 |
| 24 |
Washington |
10-5 |
0.435 |
| 25 |
10-6 |
0.496 |
|
| 26 |
11-5 |
0.531 |
|
| 27 |
Green Bay |
11-5 |
0.532 |
| 28 |
13-3 |
0.457 |
|
| 29 |
Buffalo |
13-3 |
0.459 |
| 30 |
13-2 |
0.424 |
|
| 31 |
14-2 |
0.470 |
|
| 32 |
15-1 |
0.489 |
Current 2025 NFL Draft order per Tankathon.com
2025 NFL Draft mock: Jaguars select Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan
Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) of the Arizona Wildcats makes a reception against Texas Tech.
There's no question the Jaguars need help on defense after showcasing one of the worst units in the league this year and in the history of the franchise this season.
Advertisement
History says, though, that corrections will be made throughout the upcoming offseason and it feels unlikely the unit will continue its downward trajectory given the on-paper talent it boasts.
That's not an argument against taking a defender, but it could help the argument to go for the other side of the football, bolstering the talent around your most prized possession — quarterback Trevor Lawrence .
After landing a gem in Thomas last year, the Jaguars could go back in the receiver well and take standout Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.
McMillan, 6-foot-5, 212 pounds, is one of the top receivers entering this year's draft. In three years at Arizona, McMillan caught 213 passes for 3,423 yards (16.1 yards per catch) and 26 touchdowns.
Advertisement
He posted his back-to-back stellar seasons and led his conference this year with 1,319 yards in 12 games. He posted 1,402 yards last year including the bowl game.
The Jaguars find themselves in an interesting position at receiver. While they signed Gabe Davis last year, he was a disappointment with just 20 catches for 239 yards and two touchdowns this year and didn't appear healthy all season. His dependability is in question and acquiring another wideout as a safeguard should be a priority.
The same logic applies to Christian Kirk , who is set to enter the last year of his four-year deal signed in 2022.
Advertisement
Kirk played in just eight games this year before going down with a broken collarbone injury. He caught 27 passes for 379 yards and one touchdown. He is a candidate to be traded or released ahead of the season.
Enter McMillan who will immediately slot in as a starter opposite Thomas. The pairing will give Lawrence a true go-up-and-get-it player who will make a big difference in the red zone.
(This story has been updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.)
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius .
Advertisement
If you're a subscriber, thank you. If not, please consider becoming a subscriber to support local journalism in Northeast Florida .
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: NFL Draft: If Jacksonville Jaguars pick fifth, McMillan ideal pick
