Four-round mock draft sees the Jacksonville Jaguars take three offensive players, but no quarterback
By Billy Long
In an updated mock draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars look elsewhere than quarterback on offense in the first four rounds.
It’s NFL mock draft season, with predictions flying left-and-right as the scouting combine begins this week. Chad Reuter, of NFL.com, posted a fresh mock as of Tuesday, and made selections all the way through the fourth round.
In his projections, the Jacksonville Jaguars use three of their first four picks to select offensive players. While that is no surprise, and honestly three should be the minimum with the talent on defense, none of the picks are for a quarterback.
Reuter sees the Jaguars taking guard Isaiah Wynn in round one, wide receiver D.J. Moore in round two, and running back Nyheim Hines in round four. Guard is a popular mock to the team in round one, and a critical area of need, so that wouldn’t draw much ire aside from not being a flashy pick. Wide receiver is another position that needs boosting, although round two might be early considering there’s a more crucial necessity at tight end.
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Selecting a third offensive prospect within four picks would be expected, but a running back is just too soon. The Jaguars have 2017 first-rounder Leonard Fournette, with T.J. Yeldon and Corey Grant as his reserves. Jacksonville will need to fill out the group, but selecting one in the fourth round feels like a waste of value.
But the most pressing issue of all with the mock draft is the lack of a quarterback selection. Yes, Blake Bortles did just sign a three-year extension. But the deal is structured to allow the team to walk away after next season without major penalties if things don’t work out, and not having a talented QB in place to polish behind Bortles in 2018 would be a brutal mistake.
Even after the deal, I don’t think the team’s plans have changed in the draft, and that is to take a quarterback they like in the early rounds.