New Jacksonville Jaguars GM James Gladstone sent a major message both to his fanbase and the NFL world as a whole with Thursday’s monster trade with the Browns for Travis Hunter.
The Jaguars have a new regime across the board, and with nine picks still at their disposal over the final six rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, their bold approach could continue as Day 2 arrives on Friday night (8 p.m. EST).
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Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports expects Jacksonville to make another move, this time with an eye on trading back into the second round. Trapasso predicts the Jaguars will send their pair of third-round selections, Nos. 70 and 88 overall, to the Seattle Seahawks to land ascending tight end Mason Taylor of LSU with the 52nd overall pick.
“More aggression for new Jaguars general manager James Gladstone, picking one of the youngest prospects in the class with major route-running upside," Trapasso wrote.
Taylor’s stock has been on the rise, with some, like longtime draft guru Todd McShay, mocking him at the end of the first round. If he slips to the early 50s, Taylor could be on Jacksonville’s radar, as head coach Liam Coen should be looking for his Evan Engram replacement.
“Taylor is durable, tough, and dependable, making him one of the safest prospects in this year’s class,” McShay wrote. “He shows up in clutch moments and was the most productive tight end in LSU history. I also think he was underutilized down the field in LSU’s offense, so I expect he’ll make more of an impact as a receiver in the NFL.”
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Taylor projects more like a receiver at the position, but he’d form a nice young pairing alongside Brenton Strange. A move like this would help complete Coen’s skill position groups, with Brian Thomas Jr., Hunter and Dyami Brown at wide receiver, Taylor and Strange at tight end, and Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby at running back.
This is a deep tight end class overall, so Jacksonville could sit back and let the draft come to them at pick No. 70 in the third round. But judging on how Day 1 played out on Thursday night, Gladstone and Co. may not be willing to wait that long.
MORE JAGUARS NEWS:
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- Jaguars GM sounds off on Travis Hunter trade: ‘Got some familiarity with the F— them picks process’
- Will Travis Hunter play wide receiver, cornerback or both? Latest on Jaguars’ new superstar athlete
- Jaguars 2025 draft grades: What experts are saying about Jacksonville’s bold trade for Travis Hunter
- What Travis Hunter said about Jaguars blockbuster trade with Browns to draft him No. 2 overall