Jacksonville Jaguars 2014 NFL Mock Draft – Bolstering the Defense
By Daniel Lago
Sep 28, 2013; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Bulls linebacker Khalil Mack (46) sacks Connecticut Huskies quarterback Chandler Whitmer (10) during the second half at University of Buffalo Stadium. Buffalo beat Connecticut 41-12. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
We continue our weekly look at mock drafts around the Fansided network by checking in on our friends over at NFL Spin Zone. Conor Cahill is working on his his mock draft “5.11” and he decided to mix things up a little bit at the top of the draft. After slotting UCF quarterback Blake Bortles to the Houston Texans at number one, he has the Atlanta Falcons trading up to number two to snag Jadeveon Clowney. With Teddy Bridgewater still on the board, he opts to add a pass rusher instead.
"3. Jacksonville JaguarsKhalil MackOutside Linebacker, BuffaloI will give the Jaguars credit. They at least attempted to bolster their pass rush with all their cap space. However, they did it by resigning a 33-year old Jason Babin, and Super Bowl cast offs Red Bryant and Chris Clemons. Babin had a good year in 2013, but he is old. Bryant isn’t much of anything rushing the passer and the 32-year old Clemons had only 4.5 sacks this past season. Adding Mack would help all three of these players get much less protection thrown their way. Adding Mack would give the Jaguars a very respectable stable of pass rushers for the first time ever."
Conor is correct in saying the Jaguars still don’t have a long-term solution at pass rusher despite the free agent signings, and this is a completely logical pick if David Caldwell isn’t sold on Bridgewater or Johnny Manziel. Still, this feels like a reaction to the recent pro day performances of Bridgewater and Bortles. While Bortles reportedly had a good showing at his pro day, the consensus seems to be that Bridgewater did not help himself. Unless something catastrophic happens, the drills at a pro day should have essentially no effect on a player’s draft stock.
Regardless, I like Khalil Mack and think he’s a perfect fit in this defense as a rush linebacker. He fills a need and adds a much needed playmaker on defense.
-Daniel Lago
Yell at me on Twitter @dlago89