2017 NFL Draft: Jacksonville Jaguars select Jalen Myrick in Round 7
By Daniel Lago
With two picks in the final round of the 2017 NFL Draft, the Jaguars added to their class by selecting Jalen Myrick.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have focused on the offensive side of the ball so far in the 2017 NFL Draft, taking a new starting running back (Leonard Fournette), left tackle (Cam Robinson) and slot receiver (Dede Westbrook). They decided to even things out by selecting their third defender in the 7th round – defensive back Jalen Myrick out of Minnesota.
With 222nd pick, @Jaguars select DB Jalen Myrick (@5__On__It) from @GopherFootball.
— Tad Dickman (@TDickman89) April 29, 2017
Ran a 4.28 at @nfl combine, fastest in @bigten history.
Like some of the other prospects, my knowledge of players from schools like Minnesota is limited, so I went to Pro Football Focus for a scouting report:
"Bottom line: In another cornerback class, Myrick’s raw speed would perhaps see him drafted highly for that reason alone. However, with this being arguably the best cornerback class of the past decade, he isn’t receiving quite the same hype. His size will mean that some teams see him as purely a slot cornerback, but with the speed he showed off in Indianapolis at the combine, along with some impressive coverage performances on film, someone is going to draft him and if he can continue to improve as he did in college, whoever does might just have a steal on their hands."
It’s smart for the Jaguars to take a flyer on a speedy, athletic cornerback in what is one of the deepest defensive back classes in recent memory. The Jaguars have invested quite a bit in the cornerback position, but they badly need depth and it appears Myrick should provide it. He was speedster at the combine and it appears he should project well as a slot corner, so it will be interesting to see what kind of role he has outside of special teams.
For now, this seems to be a good value pick that should help the Jaguars on special teams at the very least.