JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

Hak from Montrose, AL

The amount of "hype" being lavished on the two rookie tight end draft picks is out of control. It is rare that a rookie tight end makes much of an impact in his first couple of years. The position is physically demanding and very complex. Give these guys a break. At this point they have a college career, no pro experience and some potential skills (demonstrated at the college level) that might fit in well with a Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen offense. And, yes, maybe they are "intangibly rich." Let them learn, give them some time and with some luck they will stay healthy and be great additions in two-to-three years. Best we can hope for now is that they learn the playbook, learn from the veterans and contribute periodically. Best of luck to them. I hope the fans stay with them as they transition from college to pro players and don't give up on them the first time anything goes wrong.

I confess I don't read everything written about the Jaguars or watch every Jaguars-related podcast, so I don't know the extent of the hype being "lavished" on rookie tight ends Nate Boerkircher and Tanner Koziol. I know Boerkircher is a legitimate offseason topic because he was selected in Round 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft with the idea he would help the Jaguars be able to play more multiple tight end schemes. Not in two or three years. Now. I expect him to play extensively, and I will be surprised if it takes three seasons for him to make an impact. Koziol as a fifth-round selection indeed may take into his second season to make a significant impact. That's reasonable. I don't expect Boerkircher and/or Koziol to be All-Pro selections as rookies. I don't know that either will be one of the two or three best players on the Jaguars' offense in 2026. They were selected to allow the Jaguars to be more effective in a few specific offensive packages and there's no reason yet to think they can't help in that area. Either way, I do expect it will take some time for both to develop because it takes most rookies time to develop. Will fans give up on them the first time something goes wrong? Of course. Fans fan. It's what they do.

James from Titusville, NJ

I'm old enough to not get caught up in the draft speculation and early grades. It's too often rooted in the strong negative or strong positive with both directions equally ludicrous. I also recall a former regime drafting a punter at Pick No. 70 when a multiple Super Bowl-bound quarterback went at Pick No. 75. Jags fans screamed to the high heavens and were told that in that third round, a starter was drafted. I never have had "faith" in any general manager or anything like that since. They're as human as the rest of us, so while I know the draft matters, I now see it as a drama machine that is overblown to a maximum level to cause emotions to astir purely as a means of maximizing entertainment value rather than any semblance of true analysis. If drafts must be graded, doing so two-three years later would be the time. So, looking back across the years without digging too deep, which year do you the Jags have drafted best in franchise history?

I never know how to tell fans whether to "have faith" in general managers or coaches. Most general managers and coaches I've been around have made mistakes and most have made good decisions. Getting the quarterback position right usually minimizes the mistakes and magnifies the successes. The best Jaguars draft classes had some misses and hits because the draft is a percentage game – and that's true no matter the team and no matter the year. The Jaguars in 1996 selected linebacker Kevin Hardy in Round 1, defensive end Tony Brackens in Round 2 and cornerback Aaron Beasley in Round 3. The Jaguars in 2016 selected cornerback Jalen Ramsey in Round 1, linebacker Myles Jack in Round 2 and defensive end Yannick Ngakoue in Round 3. The conversation for best draft class in franchise history starts there.

Gary from St. Augustine, FL

Even on a bank holiday, you still suck.

Fair.

Charles from Riverside

Hello, John. Back in the day, middle linebacker was the Man on defense. Now that the league is so much more pass-centric, seems like that position has faded in importance and certainly receives much less discussion. Wondering if this position still plays a role as the captain or the quarterback on defense on most teams as it did prior? How about with the Jags, is that the case with Foye Oluokun or Ventrell Miller?

Middle linebacker in many cases indeed has (d)evolved from being The Man defensively in the NFL to being "a man." But that's not to say that the position isn't important, and Oluokun unquestionably is critical to the Jaguars' defense. Middle linebacker or off-ball linebacker still is often a defensive captain and often wears the "green-dot" helmet – meaning, they are receiving the defensive signals from the sideline and calling them in the huddle. They're often the quarterback in terms of leadership if not in terms of role – or paycheck.

John from Jax

Hi, KOAGF. What do you think all of the redheaded stepchildren in the world think when the reference is made in a comment as a slap? The same as blondes when talking about jokes? At least a king of all funk, like yourself, is immune to these slaps. Or are you?

I am the king of all slapped.

Jadon from Raleigh, N.C.

Who is the best player in franchise history to wear No. 25?

Possibilities here include cornerback Fernando Bryant (1999-2003), cornerback Ronald Darby (2024), cornerback D.J. Hayden (2018-2020), safety Dwight Lowery (2011-2013), safety Reggie Nelson (2007-2009), running back James Robinson (2021-2022), safety Rayuan Lane (2025-present). I'm leaning toward Bryant here, but I would listen to discussion.

Jadon from Raleigh, N.C.

I think Foye Oluokun has a good case now to be the second-best inside linebacker in franchise history, and by the time he retires he could be gunning for Paul Posluszny.

OK.

JK from Ocala, FL

Yo, O. The Brian Thomas Jr. discussion keeps resurfacing. I thought our general manager made it clear the BTJ is part of the plan going forward. Now I understand that it's a business and a deal you can't refuse could come up but I don't see letting a young talented receiver, on a rookie contract go. Would love to get your take. Is this just "we got to print something until the season starts" or is it a real possibility?

Jaguars General Manager James Gladstone in March called this notion "fraudulent." We are now past the draft and into organized team activities. While OTAs are not the "dead zone" of the NFL offseason, they are slow enough that that there is little enough news that periphery media and podcasts need SOMETHING to discuss. This is because SOMETHING is better than nothing. When discerning whether an offseason trade rumor is a "thing" as opposed to a podcast topic assume it's podcast topic and nothing more. You will usually be right, and you'll so rarely be wrong that you'll think you're always right. Or something like that.

Scooter from St. Augustine, FL

Woody Hayes said "Three things can happen when you throw the football. Two are bad." Led to three yards and a cloud of dust. Are the Jaguars moving toward a run team?

Longtime legendary Ohio State Head Coach Woody Hayes said this, but he said it in a bygone era, with the idea now of gearing an offense so heavily toward the run antiquated at best and foolish at worst. No NFL team these days can be a "run team" in the sense of lining up and running every play thinking the offensive line will just overpower the defense. Defenses are too good. I expect the Jaguars will run better and more effectively next season because that's a focus. I expect they will be efficient enough to get in more manageable situations on second and third down – and if they do that, they will be markedly more efficient on those downs and on offense overall. Bottom line: I expect the Jaguars to be a better run team in 2026, though that may not mean they will be a true "run team."

Stephen

I took the same question John from Jacksonville asked AI, "Which sportswriter has the longest streak of consecutive days answering fan questions" ... And I got another answer than he did. My AI said: "John Oehser, the senior writer for the Jacksonville Jaguars, holds the record. He writes the daily O-Zone mailbag column, answering fan questions every single day without a miss since August 8, 2011 — a streak that has run for over 5,000 consecutive days." Keep up the great work Mr. KOAF.

What's a "streak?"