GENERAL MANAGER TRENT BAALKE AND HEAD COACH DOUG PEDERSON
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SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024
BAALKE: (On if he drafted multiple SEC players because of the way the board fell) “Yeah, there’s nothing
more to it than that. I mean, obviously the SEC has a lot of good football players, so the odds are greater
that they’ll be up on the board but there’s no intent there at all. We’re just looking for good football
players that fit our culture.”
BAALKE: (On what he is excited about from the draft overall) “It’s always an exciting time of year, right?
You get a chance to get new guys into the system. I think nine or 10, whatever that number is that we
ended up with. You’re excited, you’re excited for them. When you talk to them on the phone and hear
their excitement and the family’s excitement in the background you know they’re coming here and
they’re going to give you everything they’ve got and that’s all we can ask. Then we figure it out from
there.”
PEDERSON: (On what he is excited about from the draft overall) “For me, a football team is made up of
many parts. I think this is a great example of the guys we got. There are different positions here, there’s
different body types, skillsets, all of that and they’re all guys that can come in and compete. So, that’s
what I’m excited about. Starting from the top all the way down, there’s talent here. Guys that we had
focused on and obviously as Trent has said, the way things fell.”
BAALKE: (On if the new kickoff rule influenced the players he drafted) “Yeah, I think coach and I talked
about it quite a bit from the owners’ meetings through this part of the process. It’s going to change the
type of guys you get up front and we’re still tinkering with that. The special teams coaches really don’t
know either how this is all going to shape out. So, you’re looking forward to getting on the grass and
working with these guys. But it definitely brings the two-kickoff returners into play and that’s the reason
we went out and got Keilan [RB Keilan Robinson], that’s going to be a main responsibility of his along
with some other things.”
BAALKE: (On if the new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen and the other new coaches had influence on this year’s draftees) “Well as we’ve always said, as coach and I have been on the same page from the get-
go. It’s not just the defensive coaches, it’s all the coaches. Special teams coaches played an extremely important role. As you saw we drafted a kicker, drafted a kick returner among other things that Keilan
[RB Keilan Robinson] can do. So, as coaches and as personnel people, you try to get the best people in
this building as you can that fit the system. So Ryan [defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen] played a big
role and as did the other defensive coaches. The thing is not one person makes these decisions. We’ve
said it from the get-go, it’s all of us. It’s a combined effort, so they had a lot of say in the guys that we not
only picked, but the type of guys that we picked. In terms of strengths, weaknesses and all the other
stuff that goes with it.”
BAALKE: (On how having six picks in the first for four rounds of the 2025 draft helps) “Well I think it helps
you a lot. The more assets you have, the more you’ve got to play with, the more decisions you can make. You can make trades. You can use some of those in different ways. We may use them in a trade effort at
some point, you never know. But the more you bank the better off you are.”
PEDERSON: (On the process of selecting K Cam Little) “Again, as Trent alluded to the coaching staff is
involved. So, Heath [special teams coordinator Heath Farwell] and Luke [ assistant special teams coach
Luke Thompson] spent a lot of time looking at all the specialists in this draft. We identified several kickers
and he was obviously the one that we thought if he was there and we had an opportunity to take him,
we’d take him. The other two kickers went ahead of him that were also listed in there and it just so
happened that that’s the way it fell. But it’s a process with every position that we look at. The workouts,
the private workouts, all the kind of stuff that we do with other positions we do with kickers and we
want to see these guys live and kick live. It’s a great opportunity for him, he’s 83 percent I think over his
career, almost 84 percent. He’s got a big leg over 50 [yards] in his career so it’ll be exciting to get him in
here and see what he can do.”
BAALKE: (On where he plans to put OL Javon Foster) “Well we view him as swing tackle, a guy that can
play left and right. He played primarily on the left side in college obviously but went to the Senior Bowl
and proved he could line up on the right side. You start him out in a swing position. That’s for the
coaches to settle in on what his role is going to be. But really like the size, the length, two-time captain,
leader in the SEC, 31 game starter, a lot of things that played into the pick.”
BAALKE: (On what he liked about DE Myles Cole) “Size, length, he’s a developmental guy for sure. Kind of
got onto him later in the process just with his measurables, they just stood out. At that stage of the draft
you’re looking for traits to develop and he’s certainly got some.”
PEDERSON: “And he started at ULM [University Louisiana-Monroe] so, he played with Josh [TE Josh
Pederson].”
PEDERSON: (On if he beat DE Myles Coles’s high school while he was coaching at Calvary Baptist
Academy) “One time.”
PEDERSON: (On how WRs Gabe Davis and Brian Thomas Jr. will open the field up for WR Christian Kirk)
“Well it’s yet to be seen but that’s the hope, that’s the goal, and that’s what we’re going to work
towards. That’s something that we talked about in here the last couple of days too, what these skill
positions can do. It opens up that second level, intermediate zones, in your passing game. That’s where
Evan [tight end Evan Engram] can get a lot of his targets in there and Christian gets a lot of targets in
there. Gabe, you look at his career, he’s gotten a lot of targets in there. Now you’ve got a guy, Gabe can
stretch the field a little bit, Brian now can stretch the field obviously and we’ll see once we get everybody
in there and all the pieces together just how this thing unfolds.”
BAALKE: (On what was liked about DT Jordan Jefferson) “Power. He’s a guy that consistently had great
knockback at the point of attack, uses his hands extremely well, dominates his area at the point. That’s
another one that the coaching staff went out and worked out along with Maason [DT Maason Smith],
they were at the same workout. They spent a lot of time with him, really liked the makeup of the young
man. He started at West Virginia, then transferred to LSU. A lot to like and see a big upside in that
player.”
BAALKE: (On if DT Jordan Jefferson is more of a nose tackle) “He is.”
BAALKE: (On how the process of undrafted free agency will begin) “I’m trying to get back to that process
right now. [Laughter] It’s hectic, the guys are working. We’ve got a pretty good plan, a real good plan.
The coaches and the scouts are working together right now. You’re making a million calls, you got 32
teams reaching out to these young men and they’re trying to make a decision. We’ll get back there and
find out exactly where we’re at.”
BAALKE: (On if the fifth-year options will be picked up on QB Trevor Lawrence and RB Travis Etienne Jr.)
“Before I do that, I’m going to look to have a beer. [Laughter] I’m joking. Yes.”
BAALKE: (On what stood out about CB De’Antre Prince) “There’s a six-foot corner that runs, I think
clocked in at 4.36 I believe. He’s 184 pounds, the guy can run, he can cover, he’s got instincts. There’s a
lot to like. We had him higher on the board than where he fell to us. We really like a lot of things about
him. We feel he can come in here and compete.”
BAALKE: (On CB De’Antre Prince’s ability to play on special teams) “Yes, I think with him and Jarrian [CB
Jarrian Jones]…Jarrian is another guy. I think they both can assist on special teams and certainly on the
punt and cover teams. Looking forward to getting them out there.”
KICKER CAM LITTLE
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SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024
(On how much contact he had with the team prior to being drafted) “Man, you guys don’t even know.
I’m super excited, first off. Florida is actually one of my favorite spots to visit. I know me and a lot of my
buddies have gone down to Seaside area and I’ve been to Orlando, all of Florida really, growing up. I’m
super excited about that and I actually was in contact with [Special Teams Coordinator] Heath Farwell
throughout the process and he had called me one day. We just had brief conversations and he said,
‘Well, I’m going to be out there next week and I’m going to work you out.’ So I was like, alright,
awesome. We went to dinner the night before, got to know my personality a little bit and I got to know
his. I smashed the workout, did what I needed to do and they took a chance on me in the draft today. I
promise you that they will not regret that. The city of Jacksonville will not regret that pick.”
(On what it was like seeing the phone call pop up on his phone) “The Jacksonville Jaguars popped up and
a couple other people that were in the kicking class as well had gone two or three picks before me. Then,
I had a feeling, I was like if they’re going to the other teams, I think Jacksonville is going to be a
destination spot. I know Coach Farwell [Special Teams Coordinator Heath Farwell] expressed that he
really wanted to get me there in Jacksonville after my workout. When I saw that number, I was ecstatic.
To think when I’m 16, 17 years old, just starting football and now I’m 20 years old, won’t turn 21 until
August and I’m a draft pick. The youngest kicker ever, it’s insane to me. It’s something that I’m excited
about, it’s something that I put a lot of hard work into. Today is all of that hard work coming into
progress and I’m ready to get out there at camp.”
(On how he found out he’s the youngest kicker ever drafted) “Our media guys at Arkansas did the
research. They had looked through some other guys that had gone after three years in college, but
they’ve been 21. I’m August 17, 2003, and they were just looking through some records and I’m one of
the youngest players to ever be drafted, but obviously kicker, I take the cake on that. I think that’s pretty
cool obviously, it has no comparing on how good I can be in the NFL. But I just thought that was a pretty
cool little thing.”
(On if it hurt to be drafted behind some of his friends that are kickers) “I’m a super competitive person so
it did, and, I’m going to be honest, I killed the process. I did every single workout I had with every coach
that was drafting a guy. I absolutely smashed. I did not have one bad day in this whole process. Going
into today, I had a really high head that I was going to, you look at last year’s class of third and fourth
round picks and I’m looking at the fourth and fifth. I got a little anxious there for a couple of rounds, but
Jacksonville saw something in me that they maybe didn’t see in the other guys. I was just excited about
the opportunity to go to Jacksonville and I think it was one of my top spots, if not my top choice. I really
do like the state of Florida and I think they’re building special things here in Jacksonville.”
(On where his confidence comes from) “I’m going to be honest, it’s just how I’ve grown up, and I think
my preparation and success I’ve had earlier in my career has carried me through that. I’ve been tested in
game winners, kind of put into high pressure situations and I’ve been on both sides of things. I think
during that process in college, it prepped me for how to handle a miss or how to handle making 16 in a row. I’ve learned that every week you have to go in there with a leveled mindset, okay, you hit a game
winner the week before? Well, we have to play at Tampa Bay next weekend with 30 mile an hour winds.
What are we going to do to four for four and give our team a three-point win? That maturity I learned
throughout college has kind of given me a boost of confidence and I think that’s where it showcases
from.”
(On his favorite memory from his collegiate career) “I’m going to honest, probably the game-winner at
LSU. There was like 110,000 people there and it was my freshman year. It gave us a trophy win. So either
that one or the tied ballgame in Gainesville this year actually. I tied one up with 30 seconds left from 49
and we ended up beating Florida.”
(On what inspired the griddy dance) “I was talking to a teammate on the sideline before that and it just
felt right at the time. I saw Justin Jefferson at LSU did it the year before, and Ja’Marr Chase. I was like, it
would be kind of killer to do that in their stadium after kicking a game winner. So, I thought that was
pretty cool.”
(On his involvement with philanthropic groups) “That’s a big thing for me. Especially going into the next
level, I think a lot of guys that come to the NFL or even college, to have such a big social media following
and a big impact on the community can oftentimes take it for granted how much we can have an impact.
I think that’s part of my due diligence as a professional athlete, to be able to offer feedback to the
community, stuff that I’m passionate about like down syndrome, like you mentioned, I’m passionate
about that off the field. If I can use my platform to spread awareness for something that means so much
to me, I’m going to obviously going to do it and I think it’s part of my due diligence as a professional
athlete.”
(On how he got involved with down syndrome awareness organizations) “I have a little cousin back
home, actually in Oklahoma City where I’m at now, he has down syndrome. He would always put a smile
on my face when I was growing up, we’re about the same age. As I grew to have a relationship with him,
I wanted to find a way that I can use my platform to influence it in a positive way. I found an outlet in
Northwest Arkansas to use that outlet. It grew rapidly throughout the three years I was there. Now, here
we are.”
(On if he’s good at golf) “Shoot, TPC Sawgrass is about to tell me how good it is. I do love golf and I’m so
excited about getting down there and enjoying Jacksonville, starting to get a feel for it.”
RUNNING BACK KEILAN ROBINSON
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024
(On his journey throughout college) “Yeah, it’s been quite a journey. I was born and raised in
Washington, D.C. grew up there my whole life, went to schools in D.C., played football there. Love the
city, it’s a great place. Then I ended up going down to the University of Alabama for my first two years.
Had a great time down there, made a lot of brothers, learned a lot of things down there. Played at one of
the best places in the country and then after two years there I transferred to Texas and that’s where I’ve
been for the last three. Had a good time there, won a lot of games, won a Big-12 Championship this year
and now I’m onto the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars.”
(On his thoughts on the new kickoff rules) “Yeah, I’ve been watching it. I know they’ve got that influence
from the XFL or one of those leagues. I used to watch those games a little bit, so I’ve seen the kickoffs
and I like it. It brings back the kick return in the NFL. The past few years it’s been nothing but touchbacks
since they’ve moved the ball up. It’s kind of been taking the play out of the game so I like the rule
change. It’s more plays and that can be a game changer. Special teams can win games. It might be a big
return that sets the offense up somewhere on the field or might be a touchdown. So, I like that they did
something to bring back returns.”
(On how much contact he had with the Jaguars before the draft) ” I talked to them a couple of times, not
a whole lot. I talked to them a little bit in January, kind of like when the process was just starting. I talked
to them a little bit at the combine and then I might’ve talked to a scout or two after the Pro Day but
other than that I hadn’t really talked to them until maybe a week ago. Around the time the draft comes,
they do like the last kind of round of checks, and I got a call from a scout, he was just checking in with
me just seeing how I was doing. I’m like,’ I aint talk to y’all in a minute. Y’all like me?’ He was like, ‘Yeah,
we like you a lot. I hope everything goes well.’ I left the conversation thinking, ‘Alright, Jacksonville would
be cool’ You know? Nice uniforms, y’all on the rise. You’ve got Trevor Lawrence, Etienne [RB Travis
Etienne Jr.], y’all got a bunch of playmakers everywhere so I thought Jacksonville is alright. Then, I’m just
watching the draft, I’m here at home chilling with my mom and my older brother, and I’m just watching it
as a spectator. I’m not even thinking about myself, you know what I mean? I’ve been watching this my
whole life, so it just seemed like another year just watching the draft, and to get the call from them was
crazy. When I got it I looked at my phone and was like, ‘Oh, here we go. 904 if I remember correctly is
Jacksonville’. So, I was like, ‘Oh shoot y’all.’ For them to tell me that man it’s just all my dreams coming
true. This is what I’ve been waiting on since I was a little kid so. It’s all surreal right now. It doesn’t feel
real.”
(On what Jaguars fans should expect) ” I think y’all can expect for me to be a playmaker in all facets of
the game. From offense, whether it be running the ball, catching the ball, lining up in the slot, doing
whatever I can on offense. Then on special teams obviously making plays with the ball in my hands and
without the ball in my hands. Just a playmaker that’ll love the city, and love the community. I’m there to
win games. I’m happy to be a Jacksonville Jaguar.”
(On if he was still at Alabama during 2020) ” No, that was a opt out year.”
(On if he was back home in 2020) ” Yeah, I was back home just training, just working out and just staying
ready. I knew that I would be back at one point. I was like, ‘If I’m not going to be here for this amount of
time then I’ve got to come back better. A lot of that time where I wasn’t active in games, I was using that
time to build my body and to prepare for whenever I did return back. It paid the dividends, you know?
Look where I am now.”
(On if he followed Texas Head Coach Steve Sarkisian from Alabama to Texas) “Yeah in a way. I was at
Alabama my entire spring, went through spring ball and all that kind of stuff, then when I had to decided
to enter the portal, I had completely forgotten that coach Sark even went to Texas. In college, when you
are worried about your team you just focus on your team, you’re not really paying attention to other
things that’s going on. I had no idea that he was at Texas. So, when I got into the portal a couple of
coaches that had went with him over there had hit me up and I was like, ‘oh, yeah I do know those guys’.
So I came out here and took a visit and I’m like ‘Oh, I didn’t know Austin was a cool city like this’. I’ve
never been to Texas before, so it all worked out, I’m happy I ended up here.”
(On if the Jags talked to him about what they envision for him) “Yeah they envision for me to be me. To
come in and make plays in a multitude of ways. To be that versatile weapon that I’m known to be. Just to
be me.”
(On if there is a guy that he models his game after) “Growing up Adrian Peterson was my favorite running
back. AP, and Chris Johnson. I like to play with Adrian Peterson’s tenacity. Currently, I watch a lot of
backs, there are a lot of great backs and I just like to take things from everybody’s game. Whether it be
something they do this week or next week, just add to my game. I’m a student of the game so I learn
from everybody.”
CORNERBACK DE’ANTRE PRINCE
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SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024
(On his reaction to getting the call from the Jaguars) “I was shocked honestly, but kind of frustrated at
the same time, just staying on the board that long. I’m just ready to get to work and do what I have to do
to gain the respect that I feel I have to earn.”
(On what it means to be the first player drafted from Charleston, Miss.) “It means a lot. My whole
community is behind me. Right now, I’m kind of in the laundry room away from all of them, the whole
community is outside screaming and yelling. I had to get away. It means a lot to be able to give back to
the youth and give them something to look up to.”
(On his college journey after starting at Ole Miss, transferring to Northeast Mississippi Community
College before going back to Ole Miss) “I kind of just was immature my freshman year, off the field type
of things. Not properly knowing how to be a man and communicate the way I needed to get things off
my chest, going through problems and things like that. I reset myself back, took myself two steps back so
I can get two steps forward and finish the journey out the right way. All about coming back was just me
wanting to finish where I started and just show the youth that you don’t have to go to Georgia or
anywhere out of state. If you’re from Mississippi, you can make it from Mississippi as well.”
(On what he thinks about playing press man coverage defense) “I’m ready. I don’t care who’s across from
me, I’m ready, whoever it is. You can be the best receiver, all of it or whatever. I’m ready to compete for
sure.”
(On being surprised about getting the call from Jacksonville and if he had an inking they would call) “I
just know the standard for myself, it was nothing that they told me or anything like that. I just felt like I
was probably if anything for something like that. That’s just the standard for myself and I’m glad that I’m
this pick right here, just because it makes me hungry. It makes me want to gain respect, it makes me
want to come into the building and come show you about business.”
(On what he learned about the Jaguars on his visit) “I learned that’s a great community, great
environment, very loving environment, very beautiful environment as well. I’m from Mississippi, all I see
is crop fields and crop dusters and stuff like that. So going out and seeing palm trees and things like that,
that calms a man down that comes from Mississippi of course. I feel like I fit in the scheme, they told me
just basically they like to play man and I’m a man corner. I think there’s a lot of things that I can do better
to better my game, always looking to improve. But at the end of the day, I feel like I’m a man corner to
the fullest for sure.”
(On what press man defense means to him) “It just means man-on-man. You’ve got to win your
matchups and you’ve got to compete every play. I’m looking forward to competing every play. I don’t
care who is across from me or who I got to hold. I’m ready to compete, do anything I have to do to make
sure it’s an incompletion or a pick or a fumble or anything. Make sure the offense gets the ball back.”
(On a previous interview where he said the most difficult receiver to match up against in college was
Brian Thomas Jr.) “Week out, Brian Thomas Jr., he’s a very good receiver when we played against him
and he got me on the slot fade for a touchdown. But he’s very big, very physical, very fast as well. I think
people don’t know how fast he actually is, so he’s still my top receiver and now he’s on my team.”
(On SEC players being frequently drafted this year) “I got to say, SEC is the best. That’s what I was
learning coming out of high school. I wanted to play with the best of the best, so SEC is the place to go to
play with the best of the best and compete against the best of the best. I feel like we have a very high
competitive level, very high confidence as well. Everybody gets messed up at corner or have a bad play,
but it’s all about what you do after that.”
DEFENSIVE TACKLE JORDAN JEFFERSON
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SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024
(On his reaction when he got the call from the Jaguars) “It was a good reaction. I was excited. The first
thing that went through my mind was celebrating with my family, but I’m ready to get to work.”
(On if it’s sunk in yet that he’s an NFL player) “Not yet, it hasn’t sunk in yet. I feel like if I get a few
minutes it will sink in then.”
(On if he has spoken with fellow Jaguars draft picks Maason Smith or Brian Thomas Jr. yet) “I talked to
Maason yesterday. I reached out to him and congratulated him and stuff, but I haven’t reached out to
him [today] yet.”
(On what is it about Jaguars LB Coach Matt House, former LSU defensive coordinator, and what attracted
him to LSU) “Just the culture. You know, coach Matt House, he’s a good coach.”
(On what he thinks it will be like having so many LSU connections here with him as a rookie) “I feel like
it’s going to be good. I know those guys. I played with Maason [Smith]. I feel like it’s going to be one of
those things where we’re going to pick up where we left off.”
(On what the team is getting from him and Maason Smith) “They are getting two dominant dogs. They
are getting two guys that are going to cause disruption not only in the run game but also the pass game.
They are getting just all around, quality guys. They are getting some hard working guys, guys that are
going to show up to work every day and put forth all their effort.”
(On his expectations coming in and what the coaching staff has told him about his role) “We haven’t
really had many of those discussions, but the main thing I want to do is just come in and help my team
be successful any way that they need me, any way that they want to play me. In this first year, I basically
just want to be a courtesy to the team, whatever my teammates need.”
(On if 34 is his record on the bench press) “I’ve done more before.”
OL JAVON FOSTER
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024
(On what was going through his head when he got the phone call) “Man, it was honestly a dream come
true. You dream about these type of events and then once it happens, you don’t know what to expect
and you don’t know your emotions. It’s a blessing, I’m really glad this organization chose me because it’s
a great organization. It’s going to be a fun ride.”
(On his journey into playing football) “ I’m from the north. Basketball is a huge thing because you can
play it all year round. I grew up playing basketball since I was eight. I’ve been playing that all the way up
to until my junior year of high school, that’s when I got a chance to play football. My dad was always
telling me once I give football a try, I’m going to fall in love with it and he wasn’t lying. It was like
something I was missing my whole life. Ever since I started playing football, I quit basketball right after
that because I knew exactly where I wanted to go and what I wanted to be. It was a great experience,
just playing football and starting off a little bit late, but also, I feel like that’s what got me here. I feel like
I’m always playing with a chip on my shoulder, I feel like I got some catching up to do and always got to
do something extra, do some extra work, just so I can be up to the standard.”
(On how he will acclimate in the NFL after being a starter in the SEC) “I think it will help me a lot. The SEC
is probably the closest league to the NFL. A lot of guys, mainly each year, the SEC kind of dominates in
the draft and in different categories. I feel like that also helps you out a lot, just being able to play against
great competition each game and prepare your body for different things like that.”
(On how much of an influence his dad, a former NFL player, was on him growing up) “He played a huge
role in my football journey. Like I said earlier, he said once I get on that field, I’m going to fall in love with
it and he wasn’t lying at all. Once I finally got on that field, I was really just picking his brain and asking
him different questions about the league, asking him different questions about how can I make my game
better. He was giving me all the answers he could and giving me anything he knew. I really appreciate
him for that and he’s always been in my corner, coming to my games all the time. It’s just been a blessing
to have him in my corner.”
(On how much he spoke to the Jaguars prior to being drafted) “Going into the combine, I had a meeting
or two with them. I felt like they really showed interest in me. I built a great relationship with guys in
that organization. I always kept them in the back of my mind and I felt like had an opportunity to go
there and I’m just blessed they gave me the opportunity.”
(On if he played on the inside offensive line during his career) “I didn’t play serious snaps until practice I
played inside. But I started my first two games, I started off at right tackle. Then I moved back to left. I
played a few in practice, but no serious game snaps at guard.”
(On if there was a transition from playing right side to left side in college for him) “I started off my whole
career just playing left tackle. I felt a little bit more comfortable there. I have been training for both tackles, so I feel like I’m getting a lot more comfortable at my right stance and it just really helps me out a
lot, being versatile and just able to help the organization however I can.”
(On what the team sees him as positionally) “For me, they just want me to come in and compete at any
position on the offensive line. I feel like I can play inside or out. We just bring them my hard work and my
hard effort each day, just come in and compete, to give myself a role on this team is honestly what they
want me to do.”
