JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

Dave from Jax

Hey, O. It seems like every year all 32 teams miss repeatedly on some diamond in the rough. Is it the player overachieving or are scouts just missing them? Are there particular attributes general managers look for in later rounds that help predict a player will make a big leap in the NFL?

NFL teams indeed sometimes "miss" on "diamonds in the rough." This happens for multiple reasons. Sometimes a player was used in college in a way that makes him difficult to project into the NFL. Sometimes a player develops late or isn't focused at the collegiate level. But mainly it happens because football players and NFL personnel people are human beings. Because all parties involved in the process are human beings – and not robots – the assessing, assessors and assessed are neither perfect nor finished products. Remember, too: These "diamonds," while correctly much-discussed, are and the vast majority of great players are early-round selections because players with traits to be great usually are the ones who end up being great. What do teams seek in a late-round player or collegiate free agent? Usually some trait – speed, agility, strength, etc. – that gives the player a chance to develop. Teams usually aren't realistically predicting success on such a player as much as they are hoping. It's pretty much darts at a board once you get into the seventh round.

William from Jacksonville

Who ya got in the tournament, Zone? The world demands to know.

I confess I have little-to-no interest in this year's NCAA men's basketball tournament – less interest, in fact, than I remember having in the event in a long while. This is true of basketball in general. My interest in the NBA has waned since the league made defense illegal, which was presumably roughly the same time it legalized traveling. My interest in college basketball has waned since the advent of NIL and the transfer portal – along with the one-and-done era – combined to make anything resembling continuity a distant memory. It's just hard to identify with teams and players these days. For the sake of answering your question, I'll go with Florida. I watched a few of that team's games on the way to the title last year. It was pretty cool, best as I can recall.

Scooter from St. Augustine

The roster looks pretty solid. Is this the situation that leads to "best available players" for draft picks? Or are they going for position players?

NFL teams almost always want to select best available player in the draft whenever at all possible. The more positions where a team feels it has starters, the more a team can do this. The Jaguars with the possible exception of weakside, off-ball linebacker indeed feel like they are pretty solid at all starting positions. Good stuff.

Kevin from Jacksonville

Are you OK?

Are you kidding?

Bradford from Orange Park, FL

How good do you think Jaguars defensive ends Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker would be if and when we start getting more pressure from the middle of our defensive line to the quarterback? I know I'm "Captain Homer" ... but I get the impression they could be tops of the league when quarterbacks are no longer able to just step up and into daylight the way they have been against us for some time now.

Few aspects of the NFL are as mis-analyzed, even by otherwise knowledge football minds, as pass rush/sacks. Wise football minds see pressures essentially as an individual statistic and sacks essentially as more of a team "stat." What that means is that even though a single player gets – and gets credit for – a sack, the reality is without a group effort quarterbacks can often escape sacks. This can be vividly seen when an edge rusher gets great pressure only to have the quarterback step up in the pocket to release the ball or run. This absolutely has limited sacks totals for Hines-Allen in recent seasons – and Walker, too. How much better would the tandem be with better internal pressure? Lots.

Mason from Palm Bay, FL

Do you think we'll be picking up Anton Harrison's fifth-year option? I can't remember hearing anything from Jaguars General Manager James Gladstone or Head Coach Liam Coen on how they feel about him as a player.

The Jaguars like right tackle Anton Harrison and believe he mostly played well in 2025. Harrison was selected No. 27 overall by the Jaguars in the 2023 NFL Draft. Teams have the right to exercise "fifth-year" options on first-round draft selections following their third NFL seasons. I do expect the Jaguars to exercise the option on Harrison this offseason.

Greg from Naples, FL

What was your take on the comments made by Jacksonville Free Press reporter Lynn Jones at Liam Coen's press conference after the team's playoff loss? That moment garnered a lot of discussion about the role of a reporter in these press conferences. As a journalist covering the sport, do you believe her comments were appropriate for that setting?

Jones somewhat famously offered encouragement to Coen during Coen's media availability following the Jaguars' loss to the Buffalo Bills in an AFC Wild-Card Playoff in January. This was unusual. It bothered a lot of traditional journalists and was applauded by many fans and observers. The old-school, traditional journalist in me would refrain from such things. I also don't know that it should be the norm in that environment. But it didn't bother me as much as it bothered some old-school, traditional journalists and more was probably made of it than was necessary.

D.J. from Southside of Duval

Big O. My wife and I look forward to the Jaguars' draft party every year and this year's no different. Question: With us not having a first-round pick do you think there will be a draft party?

I don't expect there to be a Jaguars Round 1 draft party in the traditional sense.

Jeff from Sanford

Travis Hunter was injured midseason. I assume he participated in rehab at the team facilities. Did he stay around and participate in team meetings, position group meetings, etc., to enhance his understanding of the schemes etc.?

Jaguars cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter remained in Jacksonville following his season-ending knee injury in 2025, rehabilitating and participating in team activities as his rehabilitation schedule allowed.

Bill from Jacksonville

I haven't seen much on how the Jaguars' offensive line will improve next season … so how will the Jaguars' offensive line improve next season?

I suppose the offensive line hasn't been discussed much this offseason for a couple of reasons. One reason is that the group was good and relatively stable last season, so we haven't heard the once-annual hue and cry about how bad the Jaguars are in this area. Another reason is there really aren't any glaring "holes to fill" on the line, with all players who contributed to a deep group under contract and expected to return. None of which means the Jaguars won't work on the area this offseason – or that they can't improve there. I expect the Jaguars to select an offensive lineman somewhere in the first two days of the 2026 NFL Draft. This is not with the idea that that player will be a starter – but rather that he can follow the lead of 2025 third-round guard Wyatt Milum and 2025 seventh-round center Jonah Monheim, players the Jaguars like very much. Both players played reserve roles in 2025, and the Jaguars believe both will develop and be strong starters. Draft, develop and play them when they're ready to be good. I expect that will be how the Jaguars hope to keep improving the offensive line.

Armand from Jacksonville

Of the remaining free agents, do any draw the Jaguars' interest and could a team-friendly deal be achieved?

I don't think the Jaguars are done in free agency. How "friendly" a deal can be achieved with any future free agent pretty much depends on the market for that free agent. Highly-coveted players tend to not be overly friendly.

Chris from Mandarin

The nine wins and two ties suggest that it may have been more competitive than you are likely to believe.

You're referencing a recent O-Zone discussion about the Chicago Charities College All-Star Game, a game played each July/August from 1934-1976 in which a team of college all-stars from the previous season played the previous season's NFL champions. The NFL champions had a 31-9-2 record in the series – and yes, the game was competitive for a while. In the beginning there wasn't a major difference in terms of size between collegiate and professional players – and when the NFL wasn't as "professional" a league as it is now in terms of year-round focus on training, diet, etc. As professional players generally became bigger and stronger, that changed and the professional players won the last 12 meetings.

Steve from San Marco

Does anyone know what time it is?

Does anyone really care?