Big Cat Country
Wolverines and Wolverines and Wolverines: oh my!
This past week was a reckoning for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
With the likes of Christian Kirk and Evan Engram now gone from Duval, as new general manager James Gladstone offloads contracts and saves for free agency, the Jags will be a brand new organization next season top to bottom.
This week’s roundup will likely be the last of its kind as Jacksonville's needs and wants drastically change as the roster is overhauled.
But for now, get ready to learn Mason Graham’s name once more.
We will start off with a Graham mock. It makes sense that Gladstone would want to draft a guy who can play on Day 1 and establish the type of playstyle and culture the Rams were so successful at doing. Graham fits that mold and is the pick at fifth overall.
I think new general manager James Gladstone will mimic the blueprint he helped establish with the Rams by selecting players who are ready to play immediately. Graham gives Jacksonville a building block who can immediately improve one of the league’s worst defenses. The Jaguars were 31st in yards allowed per play (5.9) and last in turnovers forced (nine).
Graham surprisingly weighed 296 pounds at the combine after being listed at 320 at Michigan, but the scouts I talked to weren’t fazed. His hand speed and ability to deconstruct blocks are among the best in a deep defensive line class, and his 19 pressures were tied for 21st in the FBS among defensive tackles. Adding Graham alongside edge rushers Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker would give Jacksonville an intimidating defensive front.
It is Graham once more, as the draft largely shakes out as normal from No. 1-4. Fornelli points out a weight discrepancy with Graham from roster weight to his combine weight, but that doesn’t seem like something a team cannot fix if they wanted to.
The weight issue is interesting, as Mason Graham measured in at 296 pounds in Indianapolis after being listed at 320 by Michigan. But is it interesting enough to hurt his draft stock given what he’s put on tape through his entire career? I doubt it.
Two words: Mason Graham. A few more words: The Jags sucked on defense last year and need all the help they can get.
Graham is a monster along the defensive front, which the Jaguars will need to try and turn around in a hurry. He played injured in 2024, but in 2023 he was a dominant player for a Michigan defense that was one of the best in college football history. He has the athleticism and skill that Jacksonville wants on its defensive line.
One last Graham mock for this week comes from PFN. You have heard it before and will hear again in this mock– Graham seems to be able to do everything you want at the defensive tackle...
