2021 NFL Draft: Would Jaguars take safety Richie Grant in the first round?

If you wanted to, you could already order your Trevor Lawrence jersey, as the Jacksonville Jaguars are leaning towards taking him with the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. However, it’s less certain what they plan to do with their other first-round selection, the 25th overall pick. Would they think outside the box and take UCF safety Richie Grant even though he’s not the top prospect at his position?

Analyst Mike Tanier of Pro Football Network projects in his most recent mock draft that the Jags will take Grant with the 25th pick, as he sees head coach Urban Meyer as the kind of “outsider” that would take an unorthodox approach in the draft. He points out that Jacksonville had the cap space to pursue big-name free agents but opted to target mid-tier players in the open market, so they could pull a curveball on draft night.

Tanier notes that Grant is one of his favorite prospects in the draft and describes him as “a high-energy defender who attacks the line of scrimmage hard and has a nose for big plays”. He adds that he looks great on film and wouldn’t be surprised to see the Jaguars draft him in the first round.

Would it make sense for the Jacksonville Jaguars to take Richie Grant at 25?

At first sight, it doesn’t make sense to take Grant in the first round when Trevon Moerigh is the top safety prospect in the draft. Pro Football Focus ranks the UCF as the fourth-best player at the position and he didn’t even make Bucky Brooks’ top 5, so why would the Jaguars take him in the first round.

As Tanier pointed out, Grant is a dynamic player that has an outstanding range against the pass and the run. and Also, this isn’t a deep safety class, and the gap between Moehrig and Grant may not be as wide as you may think. In fact, some teams could have the UCF product as the second-best or even the best safety in the draft.

In the Jaguars’ pre-draft conference, general manager Trent Baalke said the team wouldn’t be chasing players and would trust the board throughout the process. It’s unknown how they grade players and it’s uncertain what kind of strategy they will employ on draft night, so it’s possible that they will target Grant if he thinks he offers the best value at 25.

Safety and tight end are among the Jags’ top needs, and if they wanted to address the safety position in the first round, they could target Moehrig but don’t be surprised if Grant is the one that gets his name called on Day 1.