In Mel Kiper’s first 2025 NFL mock draft, he had the Jacksonville Jaguars drafting Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham, as many have.
However, Kiper also mentioned two other options for the Jaguars in the first round. One was drafting cornerback Will Johnson at fifth overall–another common pick for the Jaguars–and the other option that Kiper highlighted involved trading back.
Kiper didn’t have any specifics about how far back the Jaguars could potentially move but mentioned it as a possibility if Georgia safety Malaki Starks is on their radar.
Kiper mentioned Starks as an option to replace pending free agent Andre Cisco.
Starks could fill a do-it-all role for the Jaguars’ in the secondary. He can play deep or close to the line of scrimmage and has shown that he can impact the run game and make plays in coverage as well.
For more on Starks, here is a snippet of what Kyle Crabbs of the 33rd Football Team had to say in his pre-draft scouting report:
“The rigors of defensive coverage responsibilities will not be foreign to Starks, who has the versatility to play on either the second or third level of the defense and contribute as either a zone or man defender as needed based on coverage calls and pressure rotations. This is the best-tackling safety prospect to pass through the draft process since Brian Branch in 2023.”
Safety is arguably the biggest positional need that the Jaguars have this offseason and that need only grows if Cisco signs elsewhere.
The Jaguars’ pass defense ranked last in yards per pass attempt last season, which included them surrendering 22 plays of at least 30 yards and eight receptions of at least 50 yards.
In addition to that, Jacksonville’s secondary had the third-fewest interceptions and gave up the ninth-highest completion percentage.
Under contract at the safety position for the Jaguars in 2025 are Darnell Savage, Andrew Wingard, Daniel Thomas, and Antonio Johnson.
Of course, we are a long way off from knowing whether or not this could be a path that the Jaguars would consider exploring. But given the need, the opportunity to acquire more draft capital, and Starks widely considered the top safety in the class, you can see why Kiper threw this out there as an option.
