Jaguars make unexpected choice at No. 1 in recent mock draft

Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal, and Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson are entrenched as the top 3 prospects ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft. The Jacksonville Jaguars will have a shot at taking any of them with the first overall pick but they throw a curveball at everyone and select Charles Cross of Mississippi State in a recent mock draft.

Josh Edwards of CBS Sports recently published a mock draft in which the Jags take Cross with the top pick. Edwards believes that since Neal isn’t the consensus top offensive tackle prospect, it wouldn’t be unrealistic to see Jacksonville choose Cross.

"Evan Neal is not the unanimous top offensive tackle, so why is it out of the realm of possibility that Jacksonville might take Cross? He is just a sophomore but has produced some of the best moments of any lineman this season. If he can find that production consistently, there is a good chance that he walks away as the best tackle to come from this class."

Edwards may be into something. Cross had the second-best Pro Football Focus’ overall grade in the SEC last season (only behind Darian Kinnard). Moreover, Cross is the top 6 prospect in their draft board, one spot below Neal. PFF notes that the Bulldogs offensive tackle improved significantly in Year 3, giving up just 16 pressures on 719 pass-blocking snaps after surrendering 44 in his first season as a starter.

The Jaguars wouldn’t draft Charlie Cross first overall, would they?

You always have to expect the unexpected when it comes to the draft. While there are years where you can tell who’s going to be selected first overall (2021 comes to mind), there are others when the choice seems less clear. One example that comes to mind is 2006, when the Houston Texans chose defensive end Mario Williams over running back Reggie Bush, and quarterback Vince Young.

Neal has been mocked to the Jaguars but so has Hutchinson and Thibodeaux to a lesser extent. As Edwards said, it’s not farfetched that the Jags select Cross. Having said that, is it possible? You bet but will they do it? There are no signs at this moment that point in that direction.

There’s no doubt Cross is a top 10 draft prospect and has been linked to teams such as the New York Giants at No. 5 and the Carolina Panthers at No. 6, so is it wouldn’t be entirely shocking to see the Jaguars taking the Mississippi standout.

The Jaguars have plenty of time to arrange their draft board and decide who will they take with the top selection. Keep in mind that they have options and don’t have to force a pick. If they think they’re better off going defense and taking Hutchinson or Thibodeaux, nobody would bat an eye. If anything, this year’s draft will be a bit more interesting than last one, since it looked like Trevor Lawrence was their pick from the moment he declared for the draft. This year, the Jags will have options and all of them seem pretty enticing.