2018 NFL Draft: Should the Jacksonville Jaguars Trade Out of the 1st Round?
By Lionel Joel
Should the Jacksonville Jaguars make a trade to move out of the first round of the draft?
After 5 consecutive years with a top-5 pick and 10 consecutive years with a top-10 pick, the Jacksonville Jaguars own the 29th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. They had their best season in a decade, finishing just minutes away from the Super Bowl.
The Jaguars’ success is due in part to young studs on both sides of the ball. Ten starters in 2017 played under their rookie deals. In order for Jacksonville to keep their talented nucleus together, they should consider trading out of the first round of this year’s NFL Draft.
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The Jaguars certainly have holes to fill and depth to add to their current roster. However, they don’t need to draft a starter or game-changer as desperately as in years past. Instead, the team can flip their first round pick for cash of future picks. Those additional future draft picks will be incredibly valuable.
Instead of bringing in pricey free agents to fill roster gaps over the next three years, they can add more cap-friendly talent through the draft. This allows the Jaguars to retain their current wealth of in-house talent. This retention is key for Jacksonville to sustain a competitive team over a long period of time.
The success of recent drafts allows the Jaguars’ decision-makers some options in 2018. Dave Caldwell and Tom Coughlin now have the freedom to plan for both immediate on-field success and long-term roster stability. They can draft a prospect at 29 to improve the current roster or trade back to improve future roster deficiencies. Either way, the Jaguars have a chance to sustain a winning culture, and it’s nice to finally say that.