Where Does Jaguars' 2024 Draft Class Rank?

Where does the Jacksonville Jaguars' 2024 draft class rank compared to the rest of the NFL?

Dec 29, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr (7) celebrates a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans in the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images / Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars made one of the best picks of the entire 2024 NFL Draft when they selected Brian Thomas Jr. at No. 23 overall.

After a trade-down with the Minnesota Vikings, the Jaguars took advantage of the former LSU star prospect slipping into the 20s. When they ended his draft slide, they found one of the top young receiver talents in the NFL, and a player who would shatter every single significant Jaguars rookie receiving record.

As a result, the 2024 draft is going to be looked back on fondly for the Jaguars for some time. The final draft from former head coach Doug Pederson and former general manager Trent Baalke, the Jaguars selected nine players overall.

Thomas went on to headline the class, but there were other flashes from second-rounder Maason Smith, third-rounder Jarrian Jones, and especially sixth-rounder Cam Little. Little proved to be one of the most efficient kickers in the NFL as a rookie, giving the Jaguars a nice foundation to build on with future draft classes.

But how did the Jaguars' 2024 draft class stack up after its first year compared to other classes around the NFL? That is the question posed by Pro Football Focus, which ranked all 32 classes from their impact in 2024.

For the Jaguars, their class came in ranked at No. 15. This puts them in front of the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts, but two spots below the Houston Texans.

"Jacksonville ranked 26th in snaps accrued by rookies, but its newcomers were impactful when on the field," PFF said.

"First-round receiver Brian Thomas Jr. was extremely efficient and effective with an 83.4 PFF receiving grade and 2.54 yards per route run, and third-round cornerback Jarrian Jones registered an outstanding 88.5 PFF run-defense grade on 699 total defensive snaps. No other Jaguars rookie played even 405 snaps, including second-round defensive lineman Maason Smith, who struggled to a 43.7 PFF overall grade."

It is clear the Jaguars need their 2024 class to continue to take a step further in year two. The passing game is going to be built around Thomas, while Smith and Jones will take to take steps forward to see their roles increase.

Then there are some picks who will still have to prove themselves, like fourth rounders Javon Foster and Jordan Jefferson and other Day 3 picks like running back Keilan Robinson, defensive end Myles Cole and cornerback De'Antre Prince.

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