Welcome into Jags Am in the PM today. I'm Kindannie Stevens. We are very excited. It's draft. We are a little over twenty four hours away from the beginning the twenty twenty five NFL Draft. Ran Sexton is in Wisconsin. We're gonna get a live report for him a little bit later on in the show to see what's going on as the Jags get ready to make that fifth pick in the draft. Let's start out with our big things though, John, you're here with me today, run away as at this point,
we've looked at the odds. John, I don't know if you're a betting man, but the casinos have Ashton genty as the most likely pick for the Jaguars. This is something you and I have been discussing. You've been talking about for weeks now. So is that confirmed? Are we sure about that? Or is that just what we think is gonna happen? Oh?
My sure, I'm not sure on anything point. And anybody who says they are outside of Liam Cohen and James Glasstone, Tony Viselli and the cons, they're not. And even they don't know because they don't know how the draft board is gonna fall in front of them for weeks. This has been Mason Graham's spot for about six weeks. I've been saying, look, there's no you know, leaning toward Graham et Mason Graham being the defensive tackle from Michigan. This
is pretty wide open. I kind of think if I was predicting, I would predict genty, but I wouldn't bet anybody's house on it.
Okay, no betting for John Then as for big thing number two, it's going to be trade off. Part of why this is so hard to predict is because there haven't been any trades in the first round leading up to this. This is the latest we've gotten in the modern draft era, with every team entering the first round with their original picked on. What does that say about
this draft class? I know that there's kind of maybe three to five prospects people are really feel like they're sure about, and then kind of a middle ground there. So what is it saying about people not making a lot of moves at this point?
Yeah? I wish I had a fear that I've been thinking about it, and I don't really have one, which doesn't make great for TV. I do know at the top teams usually wait if they're gonna deal for the number one pick, you know, or I should say, if you're gonna deal for the number one pick, you do it early. But the Titans clue don't want to trade out. It sort of tells me more about that there haven't been a lot of moves in the past leading up to this, and I think maybe teams might be leaning
a little more toward trying to keep picks. Meaning sometimes you might have seen a trade last year involving a number one this year and it lingers into this. So it may be more philosophical about teams trying to hold on to their equity and not wanting to tip their hand too soon. Or maybe they're not sure with the nil stuff going on in college that they can predict who's coming out yet. It also may just be a one year fluke, which sometimes happens.
And of course we can always some action on the actual day of the draft as well, so we'll keep an eye on things. Our final big thing today is going to be setting in the tone.
John.
We talked a lot about this new front office. This is their first draft class that they're going to be having, how important it is to the franchise, but also how much are we going to be able to take out of the moves here to kind of predict what this will be like going forward With James Gladstone as GM.
Yeah, I think it's fascinating. James Gladstone. I think at the pre draft luncheon a couple of weeks ago, talked about this and said, you know, yeah, with a number five pick, there is a thought that that person is going to be a front of the media guide type player as you go forward. Some people read a lot into that and said, well, are they going after a certain position with that? I don't think it necessarily indicates position.
I think it indicates that this is a new regime and you want to get started right Beyond the fifth pick, though, I think this draft is important for this reason. James Gladstone, coming from the Rams, has a little different view and
a little different philosophy about the entire draft. So I think once you get through Day three on Saturday and you look at the whole mosaic of this thing for the first time in a long time, I'm very interested to see what that whole class looks like and what it says about how he but by extension, the staff is going to pick players moving forward, because it's a different world than do ball. As they say, or as I say, as.
John says, it's different world. In Dovall, we're very excited. We're going to have a live report coming up after the break from Green Bay as we.
Get ready for the draft that kicks off tomorrow.
Jag Am in the PM today, brought to you by Fresh from Florida. It is always in season. John Oder and I are here in the Miller Electric Center in Florida holding it down in Douvall. But we have a crew out in Green Bay, and unfortunately the Florida weather did not travel with that her. It's kind of rainy. So Brian Sexton's going to join us and let us know how things in Wisconsin are going. Brian, you look sad. You look a little sad that you're not in ployant right now.
You know what I was just thinking.
I was thinking that instead of Green Bay, we should have done this in Tampa Bay and I could be standing with my feet in the surf and the sand on Saint Pete.
Beach to do this.
In all seriousness, the people in Northern Wisconsin are very proud to have the NFL Draft here. This is a very if you've been to Green Bay, you understand a very small market. There's not a lot of infrastructure, so there are people spread out between here and Milwaukee. They have jumped through hoops kind of like some of the old school Jags fans in Jacksonville. People might remember what we had to do to have Super Bowl thirty nine in Jacksonville twenty years ago with the cruise ships and
the tents for restaurants. They're kind of doing the exact same thing. Of course, they have the Crown Jewel, one of the most historical sites in the National Football League. They've got lambeau Field, and we see Title Town everywhere and interesting side note, we're staying in Title Town, which
is sort of an office park, right. There's restaurants, there's retail, there's literally office buildings and condos, and you can kind of see the vision for what the cons want to do around the stadium in Jacksonville, kind of like they've done in Foxborough where you hail from, and what the Craft family did with Patriot Place. So it's kind of an interesting mix. And of course, when you're in Green Bay, the history is just in front of you at all times.
Definitely gonna be a cool venue for the draft. Brian, some prospects. There's some events going on right now. We know that most of the predicted top five picks are going to be in Green Bay, so that's exciting. What have you seen so far and what's going on the rest of the day and tomorrow.
Well, we were out on the play sixty field where they do an event with the prospects and local kids and special Olympians, and so I had a chance to run down Travis. Hunter asked him, and you'll see this later, asked him corner wide receiver. He just smiled and said both. I said, you're sticking with that one? He goes, why
wouldn't I? Andre Carter smiled when I brought up Breton Strange and talked a little bit about Penn State and how it got him ready to be a pro A great conversation with Ashton Genty said that he was well. When I said, what have you heard from Jacksonville, he smiled and said duve all and talked a little bit about being compared to Maurice Jones Drew and then I asked Tat McMillan, the wide receiver from Arizona, about Jacksonville and what he had heard, and well, he had a
great answer. He said, has anybody heard from Jacksonville? Did anybody talk to Jacksonville? Of course, famously, we know the Jaguars didn't do those thirty or thirty interviews, and it made it very interesting. Everyone got a good laugh out of that. But he did mention that he had talked to them at the combine. He understood the situation with Liam Cohen, the comparisons to Mike Evans Brian Thomas Junior on the other side. So we got a chance to
run some of them down. And of course we also talked to Mason Graham, who talked a little bit about those two outside Russ and what it would mean for him. He's an interesting body style. He's not very tall, but man is he wide and he's got the biggest forearms on any player I think I have ever seen, just massive arms. He was a wrestler in California growing up in high school and you could definitely see it in his forearms, in his hands.
Brian, we were just talking, right. I was talking to John about how there's been no trades thus far. Everybody has their original first round pick, which is kind of unusual. Usually somebody's made a move by this point. But have you heard any has there any rumblings up there? Does everybody feel like maybe we'll just figure it out on draft bite?
Well, I talked to Daniel Jeremiah and Charles Davis from the NFL Network, and they think this is a great draft to build a roster front. There are lots of potential starters, there are lots of potential roster fillers, but there's not a lot of stars. As we know. There are three elite players everybody's in on Andre Carter, Travis Hunter, and Ashton Genty, But it's not a roster pardon me. He's not a draft that is loaded with star players from the top of the first round on. So I
think that's why you haven't seen that many trades. Teams are looking at the value of the picks, as John alluded to in the A block, and they want to hold onto those picks, and they're from pick nine to probably pick ninety nine. It's the flavor that you like, right, I mean, are you're looking for a tall receiver, Are you're looking for a short, powerful defensive tackle. What fits your offensive and defensive schemes? What fits the style of player and the culture that you've got in the building.
And there's just not a lot of differentiation there. Not to say that it's not a good draft, but it doesn't have enough star power to draw people into giving up good quality picks for guys that will be starters for them over time to move up and grab a player that doesn't have that.
Brian, what do you know about Draft night? How's it set up? Is it going to be on the field at Lamber or what are we going to visually be seeing tomorrow?
You know, we were headed over to the Atrium to to go on that tour when the rain broke and we went running for the car. So I don't know we're gonna go. You know, listen on Draft night they keep us in a media room far away. I mean, this thing is it's an interesting dynamic of the way they've set it up with sponsors and prospects and fans. So we haven't had a chance to see it.
I do know this.
There is a stage set up in the parking lot. On the other side you can see Lambeau Field. On the other side is where the stage is set up like it was in Detroit last year in Kansas City and in Vegas. So that's where the big scene will come. In the parking lot of lambeau Field, you know where the rest of the show is. Well, we're gonna have
to go sneak around and find our way in. Every year we managed to get where we're not supposed to be, So hopefully by the time I join you tomorrow night, we'll have seen things and done things that most people don't get to do.
Sneaky, sneaky. All right, before I let you go, what's your prediction. Who do you think they're gonna take in the first round.
I still think it's an offensive player, and I think if they stay at five genty makes the most sense. And I think if they back up, if someone's willing to give them something to come up, I think Ted McMillan.
Makes a lot of sense.
Somewhere nine, ten to eleven.
I think that's definitely a possibility. Thanks, Brian, we'll talk to you again soon.
You got to have a great show.
That it's our live report from Wisconsin. We are happy to be in Florida after looking at that weather, but it's gonna be a good one. We'll do our predictions a little bit later on, but yeah, we'll check back in with you. Let's stay with us.
We're gonna do an.
Ozone mail bag after the break right here on Jacksam and the PM. Move the Freight, Move the Freight. Magellan Transport voted the coolest office space in Jacksonville. Apply online at Magellanlogistics dot com.
French.
Do a little ozone mail bag today for those of you that do the word ale on the New York Times. You might want to skip ahead because I'm gonna spoil it for today. Ozone is the answer it is. I don't know if you paid for that sponsorship or if they just knew the draft was coming up so they just knew it. It was a nice time. I appreciated it. Let's get to our first Ozone question for you. This explains a little bit, helps helps us go into things.
Michael from Michael from Arlington's As I know, I don't get paid the big money to be a general manager, but if they pick Ashton genty, I have no more faith in the leadership. Nothing against Ashton, but there's no value at number five for him on a team with as many needs as we have. Try and try and break it down for.
Me, Well, it might take more time than this show has. But but I think because so many people watch all the draft stuff and they hear people talk about positional value, right, And there's been such a trend and I've leave in in positional value because you have to and positional value. At the top of the draft is offensive line, and
it's quarterback. They don't need a quarterback defensive line. So there's been sort of a thing, Well, if the Jaguars are building up their line, they have all these needs, then they should draft a offensive lineman or a defensive tackle or quation. All the time, why don't they draft a position. The problem with the draft and thinking of it that way is you can't think of the draft as we're going to go draft a offensive lineman. It's
which offensive linemen are you bringing into your building? At some point, the actual guy walks through the door and he's the player you got. In this case, I would love and I think they would too. By the way, if there was an offensive lineman that they loved or a defensive lineman that they loved, and by and by loved, I mean if they thought that it was a guy who was going to the Hall of fame or had
those traits. If it's Genty, and I don't know who it's going to be, but if it's Genty, the reason they would take him is because his value is so much higher than the offensive line, where the defensive lineman or whatever. And at some point you want greatness on your team. So I don't know who they're going to pick, but if they pick Genty, or if they if they pick Travis Hunter, whoever they pick, it will be because they think he has the most great traits and the
ability to impact everything much more. They would like more guys. What did BTJ feel like last year when he played? You felt like greatness? They would like that as opposed to really really good and solid. They feel like they need greatness on this team.
I think that's hard to turn down because if he's going to be what people predict him to be, that's pretty hard to pass along.
And that's gonna be the fundamental reason everybody's going to ask, well, why did they do this? Cut through everything else? Whoever they pick at five, it's because they think that he's that guy more than the others.
Absolutely, let's go to a scooter from Saint Augustine. He's talking a little bit about last year's draft, So he says, Mason Smith and Jordan Jefferson were drafted in the second fourth round last year. Seems like the draft and development should not be looking for another interior defensive lineman.
Yeah, and this is sort of a Mason a Mason Graham oriented question. I think every time you see Mason Graham projected at the top, which has been a lot, I get questions, well, why would they take him? If you've already got Mason Smith, you already got Jordan Jefferson, you're moving Armstead in again. I think the fundamental thing that's hard to talk to people about the draft sometimes is so many analysts and so many fans want to
talk about, well, what do they need? Well, if you look at the depth chart, they probably don't need a devensive tackle. The reason you would draft Mason Graham the same reason you would draft Gente. Do you think this is greatness you're bringing in? You know, and you're not drafting on your depth chart for twenty twenty five in the first round. You want to be drafting does this guy become a pillar of our franchise for the next
X number of years? So when thinking about the draft as much as you can take, try to take what do they need in the short term out of it and think how can we get our roster to be great. The good teams draft in that, you know, the Baltimore's of the world, try to draft more toward that than their short term need.
I feel like we talked a lot about this last year, John, where it's like some of the teams we play, they have those great players where if things are going wrong or even if they're going well, it's like they are dependable to a fault and if you need to put it on their back, you can do that. And the Jags just haven't had that when they needed it.
I always kind of go back to the Philly game last year, right, you know, Yeah, Philly won the Super Bowl. The Jargons a four and thirteen. In that game, you didn't feel a huge difference in flow. JAS had a chance to win at the end. To me, when I think about that game, I think about Barkley flying backward over Jarian. There are other plays he made though Jalen Hurts and DeVante Smith made a huge play in that
play that was above the x's and o's. Right now, Brian Thomas Junior is there above the x's and o's guy, so it felt I don't cover Phillies. I don't know the death of their roster. A lot of special in some spots in that lineup. I feel like the Jaguars want to come out of this draft with more special.
Absolutely, let's go to Jay Hooks from Orange Park, says Ozone. I loved the Tony interview. Great work. Do you expect big Bo to be in the draft room for the entire draft? My understanding is he doesn't deal with personnel decisions. Will he just be an observer or will he have input?
Well, he's going to be there, and would I would project Bisselli's influence to be very much along the lines of offering input when appropriate. Is he gonna be in the draft room making the final call, banging on the table telling Gladstone we're picking this guy. I know he's going to be in the world, and as he has said many times since he got the job, he feels
like his job is to help everybody else succeed. At some point during these discussions, I can picture us all kind of sitting around Tony and or James and Liam talking talk talk talk Talk talk, bo. What do you think in input when appropriate? And I think that will be different picks, different moments, big picture, but he won't be overbearing and banging the table and saying, James, you can't do this. That's not his role.
They're gonna be exciting to see this new dynamic. We obviously have some great access now with The Hunt behind the scenes, so we'll have cameras in there and we'll kind of get to see how things are put together in the latest edition of The Hunt in a couple of weeks. All right, One more final question for you, O Zones Tim from Jack How many NFL drafts have you covered?
Too many?
Many?
No, this will be thirty one. I guess the first one was ninety five. Well, I covered a couple for the Times Union where I was sort of the auxiliary guy, which was going out to a college player's house. I actually went to Edgar Bennett's house he's now wide receiver for the draft on his draft day when he was playing for FSU. So I did a couple of tangently like that. But this will be my thirty first with the NFL in this capacity. I covered Tony's first draft as a player went out to Colorado to do a
story in his family after he got drafted. I'm now covering his first as a executive vice president. All of which means I'm old.
That a little full circle moment.
Well it's regrettably it means I'm old.
I would say wise learned a scholar.
Well, you're a nice person.
I do what I can, all right, say, Well, this will give you our predictions for who the Drags are going to pick in the first round coming about the break. Whether you need air, electric or plumbing service, Donovan is always a good call. We've been uh, They've been trusting, trusted by their customers for almost forty years. Trust us to deliver fast, reliable service for your home. I'm an air and plumbing also sponsoring the draft party at Lemon Bar, which I will be hosting. John is very sad he
can't be at Lemon Bar. I'll bring you back a my tie or a hurricane, whatever you want. But that's gonna start at seven tomorrow. If you want to go head out to the beach and check that out, that'll be fun. We have some player panels, some prizes, all that stuff, and then we'll stream the draft out there as well, so you can check that out. And John, you're gonna be here though, working working.
Hard in the bowels of the NBC.
You're not You're not gonna break into the draft room with Tony.
No, we're not breaking in the draft room. I uh. The draft is a time to know where you should be and I know where I should be, all right.
So we're gonna have tons of coverage though, because you'll be here happy hours at four tomorrow with JP and then also some pre show stuff. John, you'll be involved with that at seven point thirty here before the draft kicks off, and then also post pick as well, will have some analysis once we finally know who it's gonna be.
Yeah, and it's you know, it's it's a busy time. But I will say, in ten or fifteen years of being around this, we're now at the point of at Jaguar's meeting Jaguars dot Com where I don't want to say down to a science because I don't want to jinx it. But it's it's really good coverage throughout the weekend for this environment.
Very cool, all right, John, If you had to guess who do you think they're gonna go with? Or what do you think they're gonna do in the first round.
I would love them to get Abdul Carter the Edge from Penn State. I don't think that. I think they will have to trade up to get him, and I'm not sure that the price to go get him will be worth it for them to try to do it. So if they are at five, which I expect him to be, then I'll go with Ashton Genty. It feels like they are a they need high end, talented difference makers. How many times last year, Kay, did we say that they just didn't make the big play at the key moment.
He feels like a big play at a key moment, guy out of the box. And not only that, feels like I don't think Travis Hunt will be there at five. I don't think Abdel Quarterbi there at five. If you're looking for the for the most special, he's going to be the most special guy.
Buy definitely special. I'm not exactly sure. I feel going in just from who we've talked to recently that with James Gladstone, something unexpected is going to happen. I don't know in what regard whether that's a trade. I think the offensive offense is the way they're going to go in the in the first round. So whether that's Ashton Genty who's available at five, if they trade back and maybe get technic villain to kind of go along with
Brian Thomas Junior and open things up, that's possibility. But we just predict things. We'll have to wait and see officially until tomorrow.
And I would implore people, and I know this will be spitting into the wind a little bit. Uh, whatever pick they make a five, if it's not offensive defensive line, this is not an indicator that they don't consider those areas important. I've gotten many questions like that, Well, if the line's so darn important, why don't they just take the best lineman and go with it. Try to keep in mind that top five they're going for the most
special player in the draft. In theory, you've only got so many shots inside that group, meaning you don't need to pick in the top five again, so you need to go get special if you're in that category.
Best player of Bill. All right, we have tons of coverage for you the rest of the week, so stick with us. Thanks, thank you for joining us on JAGXAM, and we'll see you enjoy the draft