AFC Notes: C.J. Stroud, Jeremiyah Love, Jaguars Draft Plans, Texans, Titans

Jaguars

The Jaguars approach their second NFL Draft with HC Liam Coen and GM James Gladstone running the show. John Shipley of SI cites one anonymous NFC staff member who thinks Jacksonville is “tough to figure out,” given they’ve refrained from hosting an excessive amount of top-30 visits. 

“They do the Rams thing. Pro days, visits, now the combine. They are tough to figure out,” the staff member said. 

One anonymous scout also believes the Jaguars are doing well to keep their plans ambiguous. 

“Not taking visits leaves other teams in the dark, but we are all doing things to try to throw you off the scent,” the scout said. “They do their own thing. If it works, it works.”

Jacksonville does not have a first-round pick in this year’s draft. One former AFC front office member could see them trading down. 

“I do not think they pick No. 56. Not at all,” the former front office member said. “They will trade up or down. I bet down.”

Texans

  • Texans GM Nick Caserio referenced LB Henry To’oTo’o, OL Jarrett Patterson and WR Xavier Hutchinson as examples of Day 3 NFL draft success stories: “That’s the way a league works. Those Saturday discussions, it’s the same thought process and mindset. It’s not well, we’re sitting there on Saturday in a fifth round. ‘The guy’s character is horrible. Don’t worry about that’ Draft in the fifth round, or drafting a third round, it’s still the same’ This goes back to what I said earlier. We’re drafting people. So if you get the people right? When you look at I would say some of those people that we’ve drafted in the late rounds. There’s some of our top, I would say, borderline elite mplayers, Henry, Hutch, Patterson. There’s a reason those players have maybe stuck around beyond maybe where they were drafted again, happens all the time. We’re not the only team that goes through this. I mean, let’s go look at Seattle. Drake Thomas, who wasn’t drafted, was starting linebacker. He’s got a contract extension because he plays his hair on fire, and he represents the 12 the way they want play. So it happens all over the league.” (Aaron Wilson)
  • Caserio on QB C.J. Stroud and picking up his fifth-year option: “I don’t really think that affects his future. He’s our quarterback. We’ve said that from the beginning. DeMeco and I have both said it. I think that was really more of a procedural thing. I don’t want to say it was a no-brainer, but it was kind of a no-brainer, so we’re glad he’s here. Again, it’s more of a part of the process. So, we’re excited about his offseason. I think he’s had a good approach, had a good attitude here. I think he’s put a lot of work in from, I’d say, March and April. I’m so excited to have him around here in the spring and I’m excited to keep moving forward.” (James Palmer)
  • In the upcoming draft, Caserio said the only position they won’t consider is quarterback. (Wilson)
  • Caserio said WR Tank Dell is day-to-day and thinks they will better understand his timeline as the spring progresses. He also mentioned Dell’s availability won’t impact their draft decisions: “If there’s a receiver that we like that we want to add to the team and we’re going to take them independent [of Tank]… The competition will sort itself out.” (DJ Bien-Aime)

Titans

  • Miami EDGE Reuben Bain Jr. enters the NFL Draft with some character concerns after he was involved in a car crash back in 2024 that resulted in the death of the passenger, Destiny Betts. Titans GM Mike Borgonzi said they’ve spoken to Bain about his driving issues and feel confident about how he learned from the incident, per Terry McCormick. 
  • As for Ohio State LB Arvel Reese, Borgonzi called him one of the most “explosive” players he’s ever seen and thinks he has potential as a pass rusher: “You look at the physical tools, and for Arvel, he’s one of the more explosive players that I’ve ever seen. In terms of his burst, his ability to close, and his explosion on contact, he has all the tools to do it… You certainly see the flashes there of him being a dominant pass rusher.” (Turron Davenport)
  • Regarding their plans at No. 4 overall, Borgonzi said there is a “cluster of players” that they really like and views Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love as a “special” prospect: “There’s a cluster of players up there that we really like. In particular, Jeremiyah (Love), I think he’s a special player. … It’s also a group of edge guys up there that are really good, too. We’ll have some really good options up there at 4.” (Jeremy Bergman)

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