The Jacksonville Jaguars will have plenty of ammo in 2021’s draft.
The Jacksonville Jaguars currently have eleven picks, including the number one overall pick, in the 2021 NFL draft. Here’s the breakdown:
Round 1: The Jaguars have their own pick, the first overall, and the one they got from the Los Angeles Rams when they traded cornerback Jalen Ramsey in the middle of the 2019 season. This pick will not be determined until after the Rams have been knocked out of the NFL playoffs, but it’s currently projected to be the 21st overall.
Round 2: They hold the 33rd overall pick, and the one the Minnesota Vikings gave them, the 45th overall, in exchange for defensive end Yannick Ngakoue.
Round 3: This selection is going to be the 65th overall.
There will likely be compensatory picks at the end of the third, fourth, fifth, and/or sixth rounds, so the overall pick number will not be determined until all compensatory picks are awarded by the NFL.
Round 4: The ‘Jags’ have their own fourth-round pick and the one they obtained from Ramsey’s trade.
Round 5: They hold two fifth-round selections, their selection and the one they got from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for safety Ronnie Harrison.
Round 6: This Jacksonville team doesn’t have a sixth-round selection in 2021 after trading theirs to the Tennessee Titans for linebacker Kamalei Correa.
Round 7: When the Jaguars traded for Correa, they also got the Titans’ 2021 seventh-round pick, so they currently have two selections in the seventh round.
What are the Jacksonville Jaguars Top 3 needs heading into 2021’s draft?
What are the Jaguars’ top three needs? The most pressing one is quarterback, and it looks like the stars have finally aligned for Jacksonville, as Trevor Lawrence, a player who is considered by all the experts as a generational talent, has declared that he will enter this year’s NFL draft. Rejoice, Jaguars’ fans, you will have your franchise quarterback at last.
The next two needs can almost be interchanged: Defensive tackle and tight end. You could say “almost” because they should be the next two most pressing needs. However, the priority may change based on what the Jaguars do in free agency.
The defensive line needs a major upgrade and someone that can help stop the opposing running attacks. It didn’t help that two players the ‘Jags’ were depending on to help shore up their front four, defensive tackle Al Woods and defensive end Lerentee McCray, opted out due to COVID-19 concerns.
With the departure of defensive tackle Marcel Darius, defensive end Calais Campbell, and defensive end Yannick Ngakoue in 2020, the Jaguars defensive line was decimated, just like their offensive line was in 2018 due to injuries. They have to find the right pieces to put their defensive back together, which may take both the free agency and the draft.
The Jacksonville Jaguars shouldn’t forget about the tight end position.
After quarterback, defensive tackle is probably the more pressing need. However, it has been historically much easier to obtain through free agency, so the Jaguars should target the tight end position with the second pick in the first round.
Tight end is easily the biggest missing piece to the offense except for quarterback, as this franchise has never really had a top passing-catching threat at tight end. Moreover, Jacksonville’s wide receiver corps is in good shape, and adding a tight end could give the offense another dimension.
The two best tight ends in Jaguars’ history have been Kyle Brady and Marcedes Lewis, who had one very good year in 2010, where he caught 58 passes for 700 yards and 10 touchdowns. All his other years were no better than average. Brady’s only good season was in 2000, when he caught 64 passes for 729 yards and three touchdowns, but he was no better than average in any other year.
So, after selecting Trevor Lawrence with the number one overall pick to be their franchise quarterback, the next two picks should be the best defensive tackle and tight end available when it’s their turn to pick.