It was a busy day in #DUUUVAL, with new General Manager James Gladstone continuing to work the phones. The day concluded with 2 new Jaguars being added into the fold, as well 2 3rd rounders in next years class via trade. Lets dive into that trade and the trade that later followed, before covering the new additions to the black and teal.
Working The Phones
The Jaguars were slated to pick near the top of the 3rd round at pick 70. Instead of staying at 70, the Jaguars worked the phones and found a suitor in the Detroit Lions. Here are the full details of that trade:
The Jaguars receive: Pick 102, 2026 3rd Round Pick, 2026 3rd Round Pick
In exchange
The Lions receive: Pick 70, Pick 182, 2026 6th Round Pick
Turning 1 3rd round pick into 3 third round picks is truly masterful stuff from the first time GM James Gladstone. A massive win on all trade charts and a great way to recoup value after giving up future assets in the Travis Hunter trade. But he wasn’t done working the phones, as he called up the division rival Houston Texans to come up to pick 89. Here are the full details of that trade:
The Jaguars receive: Pick 89, Pick 236
In exchange
The Texans receive: Pick 102, Pick 142
Another win on the trade value charts for Gladstone and the Jaguars. Another sharp move to navigate the board and go get their guys. Lets talk about those guys they were able to acquire.
Pick 88: Caleb Ransaw ~ DB – Tulane
Ransaw is an ultimate chess piece on the defensive side of the ball. He has played a multitude of positions including: deep safety, box safety, nickel corner, dime backer, boundary corner. Ransaw is an ELITE athlete. His incredible athleticism shines on tape both in coverage and when flying around making plays in the run game. His athleticism was displayed in front of the world at the NFL combine where he went on to have the following performance:
40 yard dash – 4.33 (3rd among defensive backs)
Vertical jump – 40.00″ (4th among defensive backs)
Broad jump – 10’9″ (5th among defensive backs)
Bench press – 16 reps (7th among defensive backs)
This performance resulted in a 90 athleticism score according to NFL’s metrics. And according to Kent Lee Platte’s Relative Athletic score, Ransaw continues to grade out as an elite athlete. Take a look for yourself at Ransaw’s Relative Athletic Score and make sure to give @MathBomb a follow on X to see all of his incredible work.
Ransaw is not just an athlete though, he’s also a dang good football player. The attribute that pops the most on tape is far and away his physicality and tackling ability. The man flies around and brings the boom! He is not scared, he in fact is eager to get involved in the run game. Beyond his tackling ability he also displays great mirroring ability and recovery speed in coverage.
Senior Bowl:
He truly got his chance to shine at the senior bowl where he spent most of the week working as a safety – where he will primarily play in Jacksonville. This move to safety gave him the opportunity to play with his eyes to the quarterback and use his blazing speed and great instincts to make plays on the ball. Lack of ball production was one of his biggest knocks throughout his game tape but his performance at the senior bowl showed the potential to be a true difference maker the more he learns the safety position.
Ransaw will also thrive in an often overlooked side of the game. Special Teams! Special Teams – specifically kick and punt coverage- is all about getting down the field fast and making tackles just as fast. Ransaw is blazing fast and an incredible tackler so the fit is seamless. The only way he isn’t a factor on special teams is if he becomes too valuable to the defense, which would be a welcomed issue.
All in all Ransaw has a bright future and his best ball is likely in front of him. Being surrounded by veterans and getting an opportunity to learn the safety position -where he showed such incredible promise at in the senior bowl- the sky is the limit for what Ransaw can be in Jacksonville.
Pick 89: Wyatt Milum ~ OL – West Virginia
Milum was a huge steal here at pick 89. Such a good value in fact, that the Jaguars moved up to acquire the projected early 2nd round pick towards the end of the 3rd round. Milum has been one of the most consistent offensive linemen in the country the last 2 years. He has played Right and Left Tackle and has gotten better with every passing year. 2024 was Milum’s best year as he racked up multiple awards. Those awards were:
-Consensus All-American
– Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year
-First-team All-Big 12
These awards have been very warranted as he is a dominating force in the run game. Milum sports the most physical hands in the class, winning reps as soon as he gets his hands on guys. He is not one of those maulers who struggles in the pass game. He thrives in that part of the game too, as he has not allowed a sack in his last 1,028 pass blocking snaps. All this elite play has come at Tackle but due to short arms, he profiles to kick inside to guard at the next level. Not only is Milum extremely talented he is also an incredible athlete. Lets take a look using Kent Lee Platte’s Relative Athletic Score once again:
As you can see his incredible abilities that pop off the tape, are also supported by impressive athleticism. A perfect combination for what may be a Day 1 starter for the Jaguars. Milum is just what this offensive line needed. Big, athletic, physical and mean. That mean streak especially stands out in his violent finishing in the run game. He was a leader, culture builder and tone setter in college and he will have the opportunity to do the same here in Jacksonville.
All in all just a really good pick here for the Jaguars. And an incredible job navigating the board to get the guys they wanted.
Outro
Day 3 is next on the docket for Jacksonville, another busy day with a handful of expected picks. There will be another article coming out shortly looking at different directions the Jaguars may go with their 2 early 4th round picks.
Thank you for all the support and thank you for reading! It has been an incredible 2 days ushering in the beginning of a new era in Jacksonville, and there is plenty more action to come today.
Be sure to follow my coverage of all things Jaguars and NFL on X @JagsRealist.
