Latest NFL.com mock draft helps the Jacksonville Jaguars offense

Will the latest mock draft by Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com help the Jacksonville Jaguars on the offensive side of the ball?

It’s a mock draft I can get behind because it addresses two needs the Jacksonville Jaguars have on the offensive side of the ball.

According to Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com, the Jaguars find their left tackle of the future by selecting Louisville’s Mekhi Becton with the ninth pick overall and then follow it up by adding size and speed with Justin Jefferson, a wide receiver from LSU.

It might not be the two picks fans were expecting, with many other mock draft prognostications having the 6-10 team grabbing a defensive tackle first and then looking to add help in the secondary, but with these two selections, the Jaguars would add depth at key positions that should also help the team bolster a stagnant offense that scored under 19 points a game.

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"“The Jaguars have a multitude of needs on defense, but this pick helps them upgrade two spots. Becton takes over at LT and Cam Robinson slides inside to guard,” Jeremiah said of the Becton selection."

There is plenty to like about Becton, who at 6’7″ and 364 pounds is light on his feet, running a 5.1 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine in February. There is a belief the Jaguars want to see how much the line has improved with Robinson another year removed from an ACL injury that took away almost all of the 2018 season. There is also a concern that left guard Andrew Norwell may be playing his final season in Jacksonville after two average seasons at best.

The Jaguars coaching staff will need to protect second-year signal-caller Gardner Minshew, who will enter camp as the starter. Minshew, in his rookie season, threw for 3,217 yards and 21 touchdowns.

With Jefferson, the Jacksonville Jaguars will get another polished wide receiver to team with former LSU star DJ Chark. It may not be the top need for the organization, but having playmakers on the outside helps Minshew and his development this coming season.

"“Jefferson has outstanding hands and route polish. He excels on third down and in the red zone,” Jeremiah said of the former Tigers’ star."

At 6’3″ and 192 pounds, he is another tall receiver who can make a difference in the red zone. With Chark at 6’4″ and Chris Conley at 6’3″, the Jacksonville Jaguars now have a trio of tall, rangy receivers to challenge defensive backs downfield.

Chark emerged as the “go-to” receiver for Minshew last season, catching 73 passes for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns. It’s a pass-catch combination that figures to get better this coming season with more experience between the two.

Jefferson’s 4.43 speed is also a plus as it will help the Jaguars once again spread the field. In his final season in Baton Rouge, he caught 111 passes for 1.540  yards and 18 touchdowns.