Jaguars 2021 NFL Draft: Winners and losers from Day 1

After months of preparations, the first day of the 2021 NFL Draft is in the books. As expected the Jacksonville Jaguars took Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first overall selection. However, that was just the beginning of the day for the Jags, as they held another first-round selection, the 25th overall, which they used on Clemson running Travis Etienne.

By picking Lawrence and Etienne, the Jags made history, as this is the first quarterback/running back duo from the same school to be first-round picks by the same team in the common draft era, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Of all the directions the Jaguars could’ve taken with the 25th overall pick, running back was probably the least likely one, as the team could’ve bolstered their safety room or the offensive tackle position. Nevertheless, they went with Etienne, who was one of the top two running back prospects in the draft. Najee Harris was the other one, and the Pittsburgh Steelers took him one pick before at 24th.

Common draft logic says you shouldn’t draft a running back in the first running back, but if the Jaguars come out of the draft with a franchise quarterback and a potent running back tandem, nobody will question where this Jacksonville team took Etienne.

It’s too early to tell how Lawerence and Etienne will fare in the NFL. However, it’s not too soon to take a look at the winners and losers of the first day of the draft.