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After opening the 2025 NFL Draft with a bang with their first-round trade for Travis Hunter, the Jacksonville Jaguars changed course on Day 2.
The Jaguars first traded pick No. 70 overall to the Detroit Lions, banking a pair of 2026 third round picks in the package. They wound up trading back up to pick No. 89 with the Houston Texans, creating back-to-back selections towards the end of the third round.
With the first of those two selections, pick No. 88 overall, the Jaguars selected Tulane cornerback Caleb Ransaw, an intriguing prospect who posted an elite athletic score at the NFL Scouting Combine, including 4.33-second 40 time.
MORE: Live tracker | Pick-by-pick grades | Top 250 big board
Ransaw projects as a developmental prospect for Jacksonville, but he flashed excellent tackling skills at Tulane, earning a 76.7 grade in that category from PFF. With Jarrian Jones expected to move outside to the boundary, and Hunter now in the mix, Ransaw should compete for the team’s backup slot corner role behind veteran Jourdan Lewis in 2025.
Jacksonville finished dead-last at defending the pass in 2024, so GM James Gladstone and Co. have made it a point to add young talent to their cornerback room. Here’s what the experts had to say about the Jags making Ransaw the 88th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft:
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Expert grades for Caleb Ransaw to Jaguars at pick No. 88 overall
Trapasso: “One of my favorite DBs in the entire class. Chippy, explosive, outstanding tackler who can match up with sudden WRs in the slot, blitz effectively off the corner, or roll back to safety and range downfield to make plays on the football. Downhill, attacking part of his game is better than his awareness and ball skills in coverage. Speed for days too.”
Iyer: “The Jaguars make a rather big reach for Ransaw, limited as a hybrid extra linebacker type who needs to develop a lot more in coverage.”
Middlehurst-Schwartz: “Asking Travis Hunter to save the league's last-ranked pass defense is too much, even for the Heisman Trophy winner. Ransaw might not fully settle the spot opposite Tyson Campbell, but he can be a sticky and versatile piece on the back end for Jacksonville.”
McDonald: “Good nickel potential here. He's effective against the run, though solid route runners can beat him consistently.”
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