Jaguars 2019 NFL Draft: The Nick Foles edition

The Jacksonville Jaguars have hit free agency with aggression. Adding quarterback Nick Foles and other key players have changed the complexion of the NFL Draft.

Signing Nick Foles may have been the biggest name the Jacksonville Jaguars have signed during free agency, but that does not mean the franchise hasn’t added key pieces to help a stagnant offense. By bringing in depth a tight end, wide receiver and the offensive line, the complexity of the team’s NFL Draft focus may have changed.

But don’t think for a moment the Jaguars won’t address those positions again in April. Remember, this is a team that went from 10-6 in 2017 to 5-11 in 2018 with issues on offense at every position and a defense that at times was exposed in coverage.

No one in the Jaguars front office is going to tip their hand which direction the team will look in the Draft. There are still needs across the board. Try as local media might, no one could get executive vice-president Tom Coughlin or general manager David Caldwell to budge. What we do know is the team has focused on changing the offensive game plan this offseason, and should focus along that path in five weeks.

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If you look at various NFL mock draft, many big boards have changed because of the recent activity in free agency. It was once thought by myself and others the Jaguars had to draft a quarterback. Then, I moved my attention to the offensive line. even with the addition of Cedric Ogbuehi to play right tackle, the team could still address offensive line needs.

And despite the addition of both Chris Conley at wide receiver and Geoff Swaim at tight end, those two spots on offense, given that John DiFilippo would like to have more weapons for Nick Foles to use, could address those areas as well.

Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report has Jacksonville grabbing pass catcher D.K. Metcalf of Ole Miss with the seventh pick. It’s not a surprising pick, but there may be more valuable if the team looks to take Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson with their first pick and find an offensive lineman or wide receiver in the second and third rounds.

Also, this is a stretch but it has to be presented, what if one of the big defensive ends drop to Jacksonville? Would Coughlin or Caldwell be persuaded to take the best player available even if it’s not an immediate need? So much was made about the team taking Taven Bryan at No. 29 when both Lamar Jackson and Will Hernandez were on the board.

What we do know is the state of free agency has opened the door to more options towards the NFL Draft. If anything. I can say the next few weeks will be more interesting than they were just one week ago.