The Jacksonville Jaguars can now check another item in their offseason agenda with the Reese’s Senior Bowl on the books. Just like any other year, a few prospects saw their stock rise while others failed to take advantage of the opportunity to impress scouts, and the Jaguars’ front office, led by general manager Trent Baalke, surely adjusted their draft board accordingly.
Keep in mind the Senior Bowl is just one part of the whole evaluation, along with tape, the Scouting Combine, and Pro Days. However, there were a few players that stood out during Senior Bowl practices that should’ve caught Jacksonville’s attention.
The Jaguars have 11 draft picks at their disposal, including the first overall selection and four in the first two rounds. Even though they will likely go quarterback with the top pick, there are different routes they could take with their other ten selections.
It will be interesting to see the kind of players head coach Urban Meyer and Trent Baalke favor on draft night. In the meantime, here’s a five-round mock draft where the ‘Jags’ address most of their offseason needs and solidify their roster in the process. Keep in mind that many of them played in the Senior Bowl but a few underclassmen made the cut.
The Jacksonville Jaguars bring in a couple of playmakers in the first round.
Although there are many routes the Jaguars can take with the first overall pick, it’s highly unlikely they will take a player other than Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The 2020 ACC Player of the year is probably the best college prospect since Andrew Luck back in 2012 and there aren’t many reasons why the ‘Jags’ should pass up the opportunity to draft their quarterback of the future.
Owner Shahid Khan has expressed the importance of having a franchise quarterback and the Jaguars will have the chance to take the best one in this draft class. The team’s brass still needs to perform due diligence and check other quarterbacks, but Lawrence is their pick at number one.
Carlos Basham Jr. benefited from a good performance in Senior Bowl practices. Although he doesn’t garner as much attention as Gregory Rosseau or Kwity Paye, he’s one of the best defensive end prospects in this year’s draft class. In his last 19 games at Wake Forest, he logged 15 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss.
The Jaguars should get defensive end Josh Allen back after missing time with a knee injury and K’Lavon Chaisson displayed flashes of pass-rush prowess in 2020. However, they need to add reinforcements if they want to consistently generate pressure upfront and Basham excels at doing so.
The Jacksonville Jaguars load on offense in the second round.
Left tackle Cam Robinson has been inconsistent through his four-year career and is set to become a free agent. Instead of re-signing him, the Jaguars need to look for an upgrade at the position in the draft. This is going to be a deep class, so the team can wait until the beginning of the second round and still land a good one.
Alex Leatherwood looked good against defensive end Quincy Roche in one-one-drills during Senior Bowl practices and was one of the top prospects even before the event. He was one of the most consistent left tackles throughout his career at Alabama and excels in both pass protection and run blocking.
Running back isn’t at the top of the Jaguars’ offseason needs due to the presence of James Robinson, who had a historic season in 2020. Nevertheless, the team needs to find him a good backup if they want to avoid overworking him.
Although it may not be a smart move to target a running back in the first round of the draft, Michael Carter should be available late in the second. The 2020 First-Team All-Acc had 333 carries for 2,248 yards and 12 touchdowns in his last two seasons at North Carolina and averaged 8.0 yards per carry in 2020. He had a 27-yard run in the Senior Bowl and finished the day with 10 touches for 75 yards and one touchdown.
The Jacksonville Jaguars fortify their defense in the middle of the draft.
The Jaguars need to find a safety to start next to Jarrod Wilson and Richie Grant should be their pick in the third round. The UFC product can play close to the line of scrimmage or drop back in coverage and was one of the players that impressed Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule during Senior Bowl Week.
In his last three years at UFC, Grant logged 10 interceptions and 16 passes defensed, and five forced fumbles. He’s the kind of playmakers the ‘Jags’ need in their secondary.
DaVon Hamilton and Doug Costin showed promise at the defensive tackle position as rookies last season. However, the Jaguars’ front four would get a boost with the addition of Marvin Wilson in the fourth round.
Although he missed most of his senior season, he’s shown the ability to create disruption at the line of scrimmage. In 2019, Wilson registered 44 total tackles, one forced fumble, and five sacks and showed the ability to generate pressure upfront in Senior Bowl practices.
Although C.J. Henderson will start at one cornerback spot in 2020, it’s uncertain who will play opposite of him, as Greg Mabin, Sidney Jones, and D.J. Hayden are set to become free agents. For that reason, this Jacksonville team needs to replenish their cornerback room.
D.J. Daniel was part of a cornerback group that included Erik Stokes and Tyson Campbell. Although Daniel didn’t record an interception in his career with the Bulldogs, he’s a physical corner that can play man or drop back in zone coverage.
The Jacksonville Jaguars add depth in the fifth round of the draft.
The Jaguars’ interior offensive line doesn’t require immediate attention, but the team should still add depth in the draft. They have a couple of fifth-round picks and they could use one on offensive lineman Cade Mays, who can play different positions.
Mays was a five-star recruit back in High School and played at Georgia for two years before transferring to Tennesse. Although he has seen time at right tackle, he is a better fit at guard. He has the potential to become a starter down the road, but he wouldn’t need to play right out of the gate. Instead, he could learn behind guards Andrew Norwell and A.J. Cann.
Even if the Jaguars draft a defensive end early in the draft, it wouldn’t hurt them to add another one later in the process. In fact, they should use their second fifth-round pick on Malcolm Koonce who could play either outside linebacker or defensive end in the pros.
Koonce logged 109 total tackles (22.5 for a loss), four forced fumbles and 17 sacks in his college career at Buffalo. Although he’s raw and isn’t an elite athlete, he has the tools to turn into a competent pass rush down the road.