Notre Dame linebacker Jack Kiser (24) lines up during a NCAA college football game against Florida State at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in South Bend. MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How Jack Kiser Fits With the Jaguars

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By John Shipley | Last updated Apr 26, 2025 1:35 PM ET

The Jacksonville Jaguars said all offseason they were looking for intangibly rich players. It looks like they found exactly that in Notre Dame linebacker Jack Kiser, who they selected at No. 104.

A team captain and long-time pilliar on and off the field for the fighting Irish, Kiser has all of the looks of a prototype James Gladstone draft pick. A player who has the ability to make an impact on defense, on special teams, and perhaps more importantly, in the locker room.

“Is it obvious? I would like to think it's obvious. A lot of this, it just requires discipline. For the most part, you become so intimate in understanding who these people are and the buildup to those Draft day decisions, by the end of it you know what you're taking on and you have to make the decision as to whether or not you can accept that person for who they are," Jaguars general manager James Gladstone said earlier in the month.

"The people that we will accept for who they are and invite and select will be those that are intangibly rich. I've been asked quite often, like, what does that actually mean? I promise that whatever just came to your mind is what I'm thinking. It exists it's in my mind as well as yours. I was asked right off the jump, physical and mental toughness. That's a part of intangibly rich. It's a big part of it. Those two elements will be top of mind."

Well, Kiser certainly fits that. He is one of the most experienced players in the entire draft, setting a Notre Dame record for most games played in program history with 70. Starting games for the Irish since 2021, Kiser also played a big role on special teams for Notre Dame.

Consistency, Reliability. That is what Kiser brings to the table, along with a physical brand of football, and that is why the Jaguars took him.

With the Jaguars having a linebacker room with two players set to hit free agency this offseason in Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma, Kiser could step into a top backup spot early on in his career and give the Jaguars a pillar for the future.