Jacksonville Jaguars draft: Marquez Stevenson can be value pick on Day 3

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a couple of proficient wide receivers in DJ Chark Jr. and Laviska Shenault Jr. Nevertheless, they can still add even more talent to their wide receiver corps in 2021’s draft and if they want to use a Day 3 pick on a developmental prospect, they should target Houston wide receiver Marquez Stevenson.

A three-star recruit coming out of High School, Stevenson was slowed down by injuries in his first two seasons with the Cougars. It wasn’t until 2018 that he had the chance to see significant playing time, appearing in 13 games and hauling in 75 receptions for 1,019 and nine touchdowns. Although Stevenson’s production went down the following two years, he finished his collegiate career with 147 receptions for 2,269 yards and 22 touchdowns.

When watching Stevenson play, one thing is clear, he’s fast. However, he wasn’t able to fully use his speed to his advantage throughout his three-year college career. Moreover, he’s raw and needs to work on his route running, as he has a penchant for telegraphing where he’s going downfield.

Using a Day 3 pick on Stevenson could pay off for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Chark and Shenault will be leading the Jaguars’ wide receiver cops in 2021. However, it’s uncertain how the rest of the unit will look once free agency starts, as Chris Conley and Keelan Cole are scheduled to hit the open market and it’s unknown at this point if the team wants to bring either one back.

If the ‘Jags’ sign a big-time free agent such as Kenny Golladay or even Allen Robinson, the odds of using an early-round selection on a wide receiver such as Kadarious Toney would significantly decrease. However, they could target add a developmental prospect such as Stevenson late in the process.

This Jacksonville team will have two seventh-round selections in 2021, their own and the one they got in addition to Kamalei Correa from the Tennessee Titans in exchange for a sixth-round pick last year. They could use one of their two seventh-round selections on Stevenson and still have the chance to target another player.

The Jaguars’ wide receiver unit has promising talent heading into the 2021 season. However, they can still add a few pieces this offseason and should consider using a late-round pick on Stevenson. He’s the kind of sleeper pick that can become solid contributors down the road.