Jaguars Draft Needs: Stay in the Trenches

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Jaguars draft needs are many and the team will have to address numerous positions through free agency in order to make sure they aren’t plugging holes with rookies once again.

Among prime needs are improved defensive line help and offensive line help.

These are the same trenches that GM Dave Caldwell thought he repaired over the past two seasons. A defensive line that has been surprisingly proficient in the pass rush needs some young blood to go with big centerpieces Sen’Derrick Marks and Roy Miller. The offensive line…well it’s a bit of a messy question mark.

Looking toward the 2015 NFL Draft and the Jacksonville Jaguars draft needs, I fully expect that Caldwell will stay in the trenches for his first couple of rounds.

Whether it’s a defensive lineman in the first round like Walter Football predicts or an offensive tackle that could shore up the gaping hole at right tackle, the Jaguars will be looking for the big guys who can help them win games on each and every down.

Personally, I like the Jaguars’ defensive line more than I like their offensive line situation or the defensive secondary – especially at safety. That said, a talent like Leonard Williams will be tough to resist if he isn’t gone when the Jags pick at number three overall.

The Jags simply can’t be caught reaching to solve a gaping hole, however, and for that reason the team will likely stick with best available players. And those players are big, nasty, fighters in the trenches. First round could be a host of defensive line options while offensive line options could come in the second and third rounds.

Obviously, this plan neglects the defensive secondary. It would rely on underperforming players like Josh Evans and Dwayne Gratz to make leaps in their third years.

But it does help continue to build that foundation they put in work two years ago.

I think Caldwell will keep that in mind as he makes his selections.

Then again, this could all shift in a heartbeat due to big splashes in free agency. That isn’t the way to build a perennial powerhouse like the Green Bay Packers or Pittsburgh Steelers, but it sure would help fill some holes and allow the Jaguars to stick simply to getting the best player available regardless of position.