Jacksonville Jaguars: 5 Takeaways from 2021 NFL Draft

After months of preparation and evaluation, the 2021 NFL Draft is over. The Jacksonville Jaguars look in better shape than they did early in the offseason, but so does every other NFL team, and it will be a while before everyone sees whether their picks will have the impact they expect.

On the other hand, the effort the organization has put in since the end of the 2020 season is noticeable. After all, the Jags now have a franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence and the roster now has depth and more talent than they did last season after all the additions the team made in free agency in the draft. While it will be a while before this Jacksonville team takes the field. Here are five takeaways from 2021’s draft.

1) The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t reach for a defensive tackle

This wasn’t a deep defensive tackle class and most of the defensive ends available had all kinds of question marks. In fact, Christian Barmore was the first defensive tackle off the board and he lasted until the second round. Defensive tackle was a weak link for the Jaguars’ last year even though Doug Costin and DaVon Hamilton displayed flashes. In the end, the team didn’t reach for one in the draft and waited until the fourth round to take Jay Tufele.

When asked why Jacksonville chose the USC product, Trent Baalke described him in a sit down with the local media as a quality player with the mindset the team is looking for and suggested watching tape of him. After drafting Tufele and trading for Malcom Brown in free agency, the Jags’ defensive tackle room looks better than it did last year.