Jaguars Go Defense in Pre-Combine Mock Draft

The 2015 NFL Draft Combine begins this week, which means it’s time to forget about all the tape and focus solely on how these draft prospects perform in meaningless drills.

Hyperbole aside, the combine really has very little effect on whether or not these guys will be viable NFL players, but it’s a part of the equation nonetheless. The Jaguars have a handful of directions they can go with the third overall pick, and the interviews at the combine will go a long way towards deciding who fits with head coach Gus Bradley’s culture and vision.

One of the players likely to dominate the combine with his athleticism is Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory. In his latest mock draft, Andrew Garda has the Jaguars taking the defensive stud with the third overall pick.

"3. RANDY GREGORY DE, Nebraska"

"There are a few defensive line players to go high in this draft, and I was torn between a several of them here. And truly, Jacksonville is one of the teams I think could shift the most in free agency. They have the money to throw around on free agents and Lord knows they have the needs, so this pick could look the most different come April.That said, we only have ‘now’ to deal with, so I’m going with Gregory, another versatile defensive lineman who can be really disruptive against both the pass and the run. I like him more coming off the edge because he has a really nice burst and can be very tough for tackles and tight ends to deal with."

Leonard Williams went off the board at number 2 in this scenario, so I’m perfectly content with taking Gregory here. He’s an ideal fit at the LEO position and he would serve as the young building block on the defensive side of the ball that this team desperately needs.

The only other plausible scenario I see here is the Jaguars trading down with a team that wants to take Marcus Mariota at number 3. While Randy Gregory is tempting and a solid pick, getting someone like Shane Ray or Vic Beasley with a couple of additional picks is also a possibility. After seeing what he does at the combine this week however, the Jaguars might not be able to pass up on Gregory.