Solomon Thomas to the Jacksonville Jaguars in FanSided writer’s mock draft

With the board falling in a way that seemed quite favorable, this FanSided writer decided to upgrade the Jacksonville Jaguars defensive line.

It’s draft week which means it’s time for everyone to scramble and rearrange their mock drafts with all the crazy rumors flying around. For the Jacksonville Jaguars, we’ve essentially seen and heard every possibility you could think of. While defensive line and running back have dominated a majority of mock drafts, we’ve also seen cornerback, safety, quarterback, offensive tackle, and even tight end thrown into the mix at number 4 overall.

Draft week also means it’s time to bust out the annual FanSided writer’s mock draft, and yours truly did the honors for the Jacksonville Jaguars. With Myles Garret, Reuben Foster, and Jonathan Allen coming off the board right away, my choice was fairly easy.

"4. SOLOMON THOMAS, DL, StanfordThe Jacksonville Jaguars continue the run on defensive players at the top of the draft by selecting Stanford pass rusher Solomon Thomas at number four. Some might be surprised if the Jaguars take a defensive lineman here, but the one glaring weakness on that side of the ball is still at pass rusher. Thomas wasn’t a pure edge rusher in college, but his ability to disrupt from both the inside and outside would give the Jacksonville defense some terrific versatility along the line. Thomas is probably too small to be a full-time three technique, but he’s someone who can rush on the outside, kick inside, or even provide a punch on stunts. The Jaguars shouldn’t give up on Dante Fowler Jr. after only one year, but his performance last year showed they can’t count on him to provide consistent pressure. The defense appears to be set at every other position group after the additions of A.J. Bouye and Barry Church, they just need to round out the defensive line rotation. Without a blue chip offensive lineman worth this high of a selection and questions mounting about whether or not Leonard Fournette fits into most modern offensive schemes, the Jaguars will continue adding to the defense in this loaded draft class."

Despite the presence of Yannick Ngakoue and Dante Fowler Jr., the Jaguars need pass rush help. Thomas seems like a more plug-and-play version of Fowler in the sense that he’s excelled as an inside rusher but seems to have the athleticism to dominate along the edge as well. I’m all for doubling down and adding talented defensive lineman.

What do you think? Should I have gone for Leonard Fournette or in another direction altogether?