Jacksonville Jaguars 2015 Mock Draft: Trading Down
By Daniel Lago
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The Jacksonville Jaguars still have 6 games to play in the 2014 NFL regular season, but all signs indicate, at the very least, to another top 10 selection in May.
While it’s far too early to start seriously talking about players to be taken in the 2015 NFL draft, and even more ridiculous to talk about trade scenarios, that doesn’t stop draft maniacs like Erik Lambert over at NFL Mocks from cooking up mock drafts.
In his latest first round mock, Lambert has the Jaguars trading down from their current draft slot at 2 and making what would be an extremely unpopular and silly pick.
"#2 – New York Jets (f/JAX) – Marcus Mariota – QB – OregonTrade: #4 pick, 2nd in ’15 and 2nd in ’16 for Jaguars #2 pickWill John Idzik be the one making this move? Impossible to tell. Still, the New York Jets played it safe on Geno Smith and got burned. This time they go all out for the best quarterback in the 2015 class in Marcus Mariota.#4 – Jacksonville Jaguars (f/NYJ) – Brandon Scherff – OT – IowaThey proved a year ago they don’t fear taking guys early, late or otherwise. The Jacksonville Jaguars take guys they want. Brandon Scherff not only will improved their nastiness up front, but also help open up their ground game to ease pressure on the defense."
In his scenario, Lambert has the Raiders taking Leonard Williams at the top of the draft, leaving the top quarterbacks as potential trade-bait for the Jaguars at number 2. While it’s nice to see the Jaguars trading down and collecting a couple of extra picks, I would be shocked and downright disappointed if the Jaguars selected an offensive lineman in the top 5 of the draft. Despite the perception, the offensive line has settled down and played significantly better over the last several weeks. It would be irresponsible as a general manager to take an offensive tackle 2 out of 3 years in the top 5 of a draft. The value just isn’t there anymore for “elite” tackles.
Additionally, the compensation the Jaguars are getting doesn’t seem commensurate with what they are missing out on. In this scenario, I would rather stay at #2 and take Randy Gregory out of Nebraska. He’s by far the best pass rushing prospect in the draft and a perfect fit for the LEO position. The Jaguars are in desperate need of an elite edge rusher despite ranking fairly high in the overrated sack statistic.