Jacksonville Jaguars 2017 NFL Draft and the Talent Pool Concern

While the Jacksonville Jaguars have needs at some positions, they would be wise to pick prudently and not overreach in limited talent pools, especially at offensive line.

Big Cat Country’s Alfie Crow has some wise counsel on the offensive line talent pool. (seriously, go read it) Citing many of the top analysts, like Daniel Jeremiah, who believe the offensive line crop is shallow in the 2017 NFL Draft, Crow is speaking to a truth that some already know, but others do not: the Jacksonville Jaguars may not find the right offensive lineman in the draft.

There is a serious focus on fixing the offensive line among fans and followers of the team. The need is not just noticed, but felt among the fan base following another poor year running the ball. It is routinely discussed on Twitter, the Jags subreddit, and in bars and dining rooms across Jags Nation.

Those conversations revolve around names like Forrest Lamp and Dan Feeney that have become well worn and familiar. That alone should be concerning. The fact that a projected interior lineman like Lamp is becoming the talk of the town at offensive line points directly to one thing: a lack of talent as a group.

Where past drafts featured conversations centered on multiple figures like Jack Conklin, Laremy Tunsil, and Ronnie Stanley (all picked in the top-15 of the 2016 NFL Draft), the conversations around the 2017 NFL Draft are relegated to mid-first and early-second round prospects. Picking someone like Dan Feeney seems wise at the top of the second round because, frankly, there aren’t many other players on the offensive line to consider who would be worth a high pick.

And this isn’t to say that the offensive linemen in this draft class can’t be good. Some of them may very well become excellent pros in the NFL. There are not very many of them, however, and that limits options. If the Jags feel comfortable with one of them, they should certainly draft him. But if one of those comfortable players is not available, the Jags should not reach. The difference between someone like Lamp or Cam Robinson to Taylor Moton or Antonio Garcia, as prospects, is much greater than gaps seen between the top one to five prospects at the position in recent years.

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As those few gems get swiped, teams will feel pressure to land the next best player at the position. But that is something that should be avoided for weak position groups, like this year’s offensive line class. The Jaguars may be better served by waiting it out a season with serviceable players like Patrick Omameh at guard and Branden Albert at tackle instead of wasting valuable draft capital reaching for a player.

If something works out and a gamble like running back-guard in first and second-round selections works, great. But it is a gamble that the players are there and can outweigh the value of others at deeper positions. There is a much smaller gamble in making the “easy” selection and taking someone like defensive lineman Jonathan Allen in the first round and following it up with a strong tight end, running back, cornerback, or safety.

More Draft: Three rounds mocked by Jags contributors

This is something that everyone needs to keep in mind as the 2017 NFL Draft inches closer and closer. Draft strategy matters and, as Crow writes in his article, “you don’t want to corner yourself into picking one for the sake of it, because you need one.” Executive vice president for football operations Tom Coughlin is no fool and being backed into a corner seems like something he will work to avoid. While it is well known he likes his big men up front, don’t be shocked if he is unwilling to let the Jaguars dip into a shallow pool of talent simply because there is need.

Offensive line is the biggest focus because of its clear need for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but it is simply an example. Like any draft, weak position groups abound and teams must adapt their draft strategies to suit the talent available and this could narrow options going forward.

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