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Mel Kiper Jr. addresses big needs for the Jacksonville Jaguars in his ‘Grade-A’ three-round mock draft

By Daniel Lago

Sep 19, 2015; Fort Worth, TX, USA; TCU Horned Frogs offensive tackle Aviante Collins (69) and offensive tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai (74) celebrate with the Iron Skillet after the victory against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 19, 2015; Fort Worth, TX, USA; TCU Horned Frogs offensive tackle Aviante Collins (69) and offensive tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai (74) celebrate with the Iron Skillet after the victory against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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In his latest mock draft for ESPN, Mel Kiper Jr. goes through his ideal three-round scenario for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The 2017 NFL Draft is only a week away and we still don’t really have a good feel for who the Jacksonville Jaguars will draft with the 4th overall pick. The first round is still a mystery for basically every team, so it seems like somewhat of a fool’s errand to try and project even further into the second and first round.

Mel Kiper Jr. couldn’t care less.

In his latest mock draft, Mel Kiper Jr. went through the first three rounds and tried to piece together selections for each team that would garner an ‘A’ grade from him. For the Jacksonville Jaguars, he went down the list and tried to address positions of need:

"Jacksonville JaguarsRound 1 (4): Jonathan Allen, DL, AlabamaRound 2 (35): Evan Engram, TE, Ole MissRound 3 (68): Aviante Collins, OT, TCUStick Allen at defensive tackle next to $85 million man Malik Jackson, and let him get after quarterbacks and disrupt running games. Yes, Jacksonville has spent a lot of money on its defensive line the past two seasons, but Allen is worth it. He had 23 sacks the past two seasons. There has been some talk of the Jags taking O.J. Howard at No. 4, but this scenario would give them Engram, my No. 2-ranked tight end, at the top of the second round. He’s a pass-catcher, and after trading away Julius Thomas, Jacksonville sorely needs a replacement. Collins is an athletic, developmental guy who could play right tackle or guard. His 4.81 40 at the combine was by far the fastest among offensive linemen, and it forced scouts to head back to the tape."

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Jonathan Allen seems a bit redundant with newly signed defensive lineman Calais Campbell, but the selection still makes sense because you can never have enough disruptive players in the front seven and Campbell isn’t young. If Allen is as good as advertised, the Jaguars should take him.

We’ve seen Ingram mocked to the Jaguars in the second round before as well, so this isn’t too surprising. He’d be a perfect replacement for Julius Thomas and could become an important part of the offense immediately.

A new name here is Aviante Collins, who has apparently climbed up draft boards after an impressive combine. The Jaguars need a starter and some depth along the offensive line, so this is a fairly rational selection.

I don’t know if I’d give this draft an ‘A’, but I certainly wouldn’t be upset about it. How do you feel about it?

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