Florida Sports Wires

By Jeff Moeller, Jacksonville Sports Day If there is one certainty you can count on from the Jaguars’ draft, it is general manager James Gladstone did it his way. He made his mark with his shocking trade up for Travis Hunter last year that gave the Jags a less profile draft this year.  Gladstone has come under criticism from draft experts for his overall selections. His overall performance didn’t register high marks.  The Jags and Rams’ drafts were ranked at the bottom by many draftniks. Ironically, Gladstone’s front office roots were with the Rams. Do you doubt the Rams’ brass by envisioning Ty Simpson as Matthew Stafford’s replacement?  When you look at the Jags’ recent draft, there were some headscratchers.  Overall, it was a mixed bag. There was a prevailing theory that they had to fill the void left by running back Travis Etienne and linebacker Devin Lloyd. The Jags may have filled Lloyd’s spot, but they didn’t draft a running back.  Top pick Nate Boerkirch...

  By JEFF MOELLER, Jacksonville SportsDay JACKSONVILLE – Most Jaguars’ fans weren’t expecting a well-known draft pick at No. 56 unless the Jags picked up one of the quarterbacks still available. There also was the underlying feeling that general manager James Gladstone could pull off another draft blockbuster deal that he did last year with Travis Hunter. Without a pick in the top 50, this draft was about adding depth and finding a starter would be a longshot. Instead, the script continued with a rather quiet offseason for the team. Their biggest deal was Travon Walker’s extension and the re-signing of a number of veterans. Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen have worked to keep most of the current cast in place except for Travis Etienne, Devin LLoyd, and Andrew Wingard. Lack of cap space left them without the ability to shop as freely as they wanted. The Jags’ duo must have a plan in mind that we’ll have to watch unravel with the drafting of Texas A&M tight end Nate Boerkicher...

GREEN BAY, Wis.— The Colorado Buffaloes' Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, become the highest drafted cornerback and second-highest drafted wide receiver in NFL history.  Matching the highest draft pick in CU history alongside Bo Matthews (No. 2 overall to the San Diego Chargers in 1974), Hunter is just the fourth top 5 pick in CU history also joining Byron White (No.4 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1938) and Michael Westbrook (No. 4 to the Washington Redskins in 1995).  Hunter became the most decorated player in college football history last year being named the consensus national player of the year by winning the Heisman Trophy, Walter Camp Award and both the AP and Sporting News Player of the Year honors.  He was also repeated as the Paul Hornung Award (most versatile player) while winning the Bednarik Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy as national defensive player of the year and th...

  GREEN BAY, Wisc. -- University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward was selected with the first overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans Thursday night. Ward became the third Hurricane to ever be selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft and the first since 1991, when defensive tackle Russell Maryland was taken by the Dallas Cowboys with the draft’s top pick. Quarterback Vinny Testaverde was also selected No. 1 overall in 1987 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The first Hurricane to be selected in the first round since defensive ends Greg Rousseau and Jaelan Phillips in 2021, Ward won the Manning Award and the Davey O’Brien Award honoring the nation’s top quarterback after a prolific 2024 season with the Hurricanes. In addition to leading Miami to a 10-win season, Ward was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy and the winner of the ACC Player of the Year honor, a first for a Hurricane student-athlete. The 66th first-round pick in Miami school history, Ward completed 305-of-454 pa...

TALLAHASSEE  – Florida State defensive back Jammie Robinson was selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers with the 145th overall pick on Saturday. Robinson’s selection extends Florida State’s streak to 40 consecutive NFL Drafts with at least one player picked.  That streak, which began in 1984, is the eighth-longest active streak in the nation. Florida State now has 294 NFL Draft picks in its history, including 203 during the 40-year streak, and Robinson is the 35th FSU defensive back drafted in the last 36 years.   Robinson was a back-to-back first-team All-ACC selection, Florida State’s first defender to earn consecutive first-team All-ACC honors since Jalen Ramsey in 2014-15, in both of his seasons after transferring into the program for the 2021 season. He started 24 of 25 games played at FSU, totaling 183 tackles, including 12.0 for loss with 1.0 sack, five interceptions, eight pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery...

Cam Smith By Mike Bonts MIAMI (Florida Sports Wire)  - The Miami .Dolphins selected South Carolina cornerback Cam Smith in the second round with the 51st overall pick. Smith is the earliest defensive back drafted by the Dolphins since S Jevon Holland was picked 36th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. The last two defensive backs Miami has selected in the second round of the draft are Holland and Xavien Howard, who was picked 38th overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. Smith is the sixth Gamecock selected by Miami in the draft and the first since 2003. The last three South Carolina draft picks by the Dolphins are all defensive backs. The Dolphins selected Texas A&M  running back von Achane in the third round with the 84th overall pick. Achane is the first Dolphins running back selected in the third round or earlier since RB Kenyan Drake was a third-round selection (73rd overall) in the 2016 NFL Draft. This marks the first time the Dolphins have drafted a running back from Texas A&M...

ALLEN ROBINSON (15) By MIKE BONTS Jacksonville SportsDay Coming off a 5-11 record last season the Jacksonville Jaguars unveiled off field plans at last month’s State of the Franchise presentation. Owner Shad Khan and president Mark Lamping unveiled designs and details for three new projects for EverBank Field, as well as the club’s 2016 ticket pricing. “All of us are proud to take this opportunity to give our fans and partners a crystal clear look into where the Jacksonville Jaguars are as a franchise, and where we plan to be in the future.  And we plan to be in Jacksonville,” Khan said.  “But, we don’t want to be a franchise, on or off the field, that merely exists.  We want to thrive and be respected.   The stadium improvements include a complete re-imagining of the US Assure Clubs, a covered Flex Field and an amphitheater. All were approved unanimously by Jacksonville City Council in December. US Assure Clubs - The design includes the installation o...