Lamar Jackson is an ideal fit for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round

With less pressing needs thanks to free agency, the Jacksonville Jaguars are free to pick the best available player at 29 – it might be Lamar Jackson.

Every year, the focus of the NFL Draft inevitably narrows down to the top quarterback prospects. This year, the consensus appears to be that 4 guys – Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen, and Baker Mayfield – represent the top tier and will likely be take early in the first round.

Unlike most years, there is no consensus on the order of those 4 guys. The lack of agreement continues down the rankings, with the most polarizing prospect being former Louisville star Lamar Jackson.

After Jackson’s solid pro day, Bucky Brooks over at NFL.com wrote up a deep scouting report on the former Heisman trophy winner. Brooks also broke down some fits for the athletic quarterback. Brooks threw out a few teams that quite frankly don’t make much sense (the Texans, Seahawks, and Panthers, all of whom have franchise quarterbacks and would be reckless for taking one this early), but the teams in his second grouping make a lot of sense:

"If those teams ultimately aren’t interested in investing a pick in Jackson due to the presence of established QB1s, I would point to the Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints as ideal spots for the Louisville QB…In Jacksonville, Jackson would also benefit from an offensive coordinator (Nathaniel Hackett) with ties to the college game that would help him build an offense around a dual-threat playmaker. In addition, the Jaguars have a strong running game and defense that would allow Jackson to perform as a complementary playmaker for the squad."

The Jacksonville Jaguars recently traded for former Cleveland Browns quarterback Cody Kessler, but the Jaguars are still absolutely in the market for a passer in the draft. Kessler is a camp arm and a prospective backup at best, and the Jaguars need to find a legitimate long term option behind Bortles.

Jackson is an intriguing prospect for many reasons, but his mobility and arm strength fit the profile of what the Jaguars seem to value in a passer right now. With such an emphasis on the run game, the Jaguars need a passer who is able to take off himself when it’s warranted. They also need a passer with the ability to take the opportunities he’s given and make big plays, since by share they aren’t passing as much compared to other teams.

By addressing so many needs in free agency, the Jacksonville front office purposely freed themselves up to do whatever they want at number 29.

If Jackson is there, I don’t think the Jaguars will pass on the opportunity to take a generational talent.