2017 NFL Draft: Jacksonville Jaguars wrap up draft with Marquez Williams

With their 7th and final pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars decided to get Leonard Fournette a fullback in Marquez Williams.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have had a fairly balanced draft so far in terms of offense and defense, but the plan going in clearly was to try and improve the offense. They did so right away by taking superstar running back Leonard Fournette with the 4th overall selection of the 2017 NFL Draft, and they complemented that bold move by taking a fullback in the 7th round.

The Jaguars made it clear they wanted to move the offense towards a more run-oriented scheme, and head coach Doug Marrone prefers to have fullbacks as lead blockers.

Believe it or not, I did not study the fullbacks in the draft very closely, so I went to some more knowledgeable folks for information.

It’s interesting that the Jaguars felt the need to use a selection on Williams, as he likely would have been available as an undrafted free agent since the NFL has largely moved away from the fullback position. Still, it seems the Jaguars are committed to putting Fournette in a position to succeed and they should be focusing on such an endeavor.

Williams is in Jacksonville exclusively to lead block and his expectations for anything else should be extremely low. His statistical profile is highlighted by his 2 receptions for 19 yards and a touchdown in 2016 for the University of Miami. This doesn’t mean the Jaguars shouldn’t try to utilize Williams at all as a runner or pass catcher, but his main utility will be to open holes for Leonard Fournette.

So that does it, the Jaguars have completed their 2017 draft class. They wind up with 4 offensive players and 3 defensive players, and there’s a chance they could have as many as 4 new starters among the rookies.