How the Jaguars win the 2019 NFL Draft

The Jacksonville Jaguars can win the 2019 NFL Draft. Here’s how the franchise can do that.

15 days and counting! The NFL draft is right around the corner and the Jacksonville Jaguars for all intents purposes are already on the clock.

A new quarterback, a new offensive system, and hopefully a new direction for the 2019 season. If Jacksonville is going to prove once again that they are contenders for the playoffs and not a team of talents that is pretending to be a challenger, a lot more need to change on both sides of the football.

Team’s roster makeup is different coming into the season. Veterans have been jettisoned and new players brought in via free agency. Use of the team is signing of quarterback Nick Foles has been the center of attention this off-season, but the development and off-season training program of Leonard Fournette cannot be diminished. The potential change in philosophy of what was a run-first offense will be a hot topic of conversation once the team heads to training camp.

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For now, the NFL draft is on everyone’s mind in this front office must do everything it can to win three days in April.

Here are a few ways that Jaguars can win the NFL draft.

Select the best player available – Last year the Jaguars drafted for the future, which at the time seemed like a solid move. There were obvious holes on their roster that were revealed during the season. This year, the team has a chance to get a very good player with the seventh pick and should take the highest-rated prospect regardless of position.

There has been plenty of talk of this team drafting a tackle or tight end. I would take that a step further and say a quality pass rusher should not be overlooked. Depth is needed all over this roster.

As for an offensive lineman, there is good depth into the second round at the position, but Jacksonville must find the right fit. I think this becomes priority No. 1, but don’t be surprised if one of the premier defensive linemen fall and the team jumps at the chance to solidify their pass rush.

We have a trade! – Because this is a draft class that is deep at the tight end position and on the offensive line, Jacksonville may believe it can get what it wants later in the first round. The fact that two quarterbacks could change the complexity of the first 10 picks makes me think that Jaguars may trade back.

This is the perfect scenario for this organization. If Jacksonville is able to find a trade partner, they could accrue more draft capital, which ultimately means they are able to find more depth at positions of need.

It doesn’t mean the front office changes its draft strategy, it just means the players that they choose won’t be the one that most draft experts have them slotted to select.

Miami, Cincinnati, and Washington (and possibly Denver) could all look to move up to grab a quarterback. The Jaguars could become the most popular team in the top 10.

Find a playmaker or two – Jaguars general manager David Caldwell told the media last month that he was pleased with the team’s core of wide receivers. The team led the league in drop passes. A lot had to do was quarterback play, but some of the responsibility was on those catching the football.

Jacksonville signed wide receiver Chris Conley in free agency, hoping the former Kansas City Chief would be able to come in and fill a role as a third or fourth option in the passing game. I still believe the Jaguars must find a dynamic playmaker. I do not, however, think it is an option with the first pick unless they trade down.

The Jaguars could look to solve that issue as early as the second round, but will more than likely used one or both of their third-round picks on a wideout. I originally thought the team would also draft a running back, but because the Jaguars signed Benny Cunningham and Alfred Blue, That does not look likely.

The one thing that Jaguars could do is use late-round picks to provide depth at wide receiver, which still appears to be a questionable position on offense.