With free agency taking a backseat, NFL teams can fully turn their attention to the draft. The Jacksonville Jaguars are no different and after going on a shopping spree, they now have to decide how to best use the 12 draft picks they currently possess.
The Jags did a good job of addressing several needs in free agency but their roster was so devoid of talent last season that they still have a few holes to fill. They take care of those in this seven-round mock draft, which includes trades.
Jaguars 7-round mock draft: 1st round, No. 1 pick – Aidan Hutchinson, DE.
This is going to be a tough one for the Jaguars. They could easily take Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal and have him play guard in his rookie season. They could then switch him to right or left tackle in 2023. Regardless of where he ultimately lines up, he’s would give Jacksonville’s offensive line a boost. Nevertheless Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson gets the nod here, as he can turn the Jaguars’ front seven into a dominant group.
The Jaguars need to get a bookend pass rusher opposite outside linebacker Josh Allen and Hutchinson is the best of his class. He’s been compared to Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby and if the former Wolverine can achieve that level of play, the Jags will end up with a ferocious pass rush duo this upcoming season. Georgia’s Travon Walker and Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux deserve consideration at number one too but Hutchinson may be the safest choice of the bunch.
Jaguars 7-round mock draft: 2nd round, No. 33 pick – Zion Johnson, OG.
Passing on Evan Neal would be tough but the Jaguars still need to bolster their offensive line and instead of waiting until later rounds, they take Boston College offensive guard Zion Johnson with the first selection of the second round, the 33rd overall.
Cam Robinson is set to start at left tackle for the Jaguars while Walker Little could compete with Jawaan Taylor for the right tackle job. Tyler Shatley will most likely be their starting center. The newly-acquired Brandon Scherff will be lining up at right guard, possibly leaving left guard as the only question mark for the 2022 season.
Third-year interior offensive lineman Ben Bartch will most likely get the first crack at guard, as he’s done a serviceable job when pressed into action in the past two seasons. However, Johnson could come in and compete with him for the starting job.
A three-year starter at Boston College, Johnson is a mauler in the running game. He’s also pretty good in pass-blocking situations, having allowed just six pressures in 2021. Brandon Thorn of the Bleacher Report scouting department describes the former Eagle as a “polished, well-rounded player” that can be a starter on Day 1. On the other hand, draft analyst Lance Zierlein of NFL Media believes “his ability to deal with the athleticism” of defensive linemen at the NFL level could be a cause for concern. Either way, if he falls to the second round, the Jaguars can’t pass up the chance to take him.
Jaguars 7-round mock draft: 3rd round, No. 65 pick – Christian Watson, WR.
The Jaguars signed Christian Kirk and Zay Jones in free agency but they could still add another wide receiver in the draft. With Kirk, Laviska Shenault Jr. (for now) and Marvin Jones Jr. set to start, the team’s brass could wait until Round 3 to take one. North Dakota State’s Christian Watson should be available when Jacksonville is on the clock at No. 65.
Last season, he appeared in 12 games and caught 43 receptions for 801 yards with seven touchdowns. The former Bison is a polished route-runner that has enough speed to get deep. Due to how crowded their wide-receiver room is, the Jags could afford to bring him along slowly. Nate Tice of B/R sees him as a “good No. 3-type weapon” for clubs interested in adding size to the position.
Jaguars 7-round mock draft: 3rd round, No. 70 pick – Trey McBride, TE.
The Jaguars got a third-round pick and tight end Dan Arnold when they traded cornerback C.J. Henderson to the Carolina Panthers last year. With this selection, they should get tight end Trey McBride despite the fact that they just gave Evan Engram a one-year, $9 million deal.
Engram and Arnold could turn out to be a solid tight-end tandem but they are both set to become free agents in 2023 and the Jags may not be able to bring back both. That’s why taking McBride in the third round is a sound approach. The former Colorado State Ram hauled in 90 receptions for 1,121 yards with one touchdown last season. While he has work to do as a blocker, he’s a pretty good route runner that could become a solid starter down the road.
Jaguars 7-round mock draft: 4th round, No. 106 pick – James Cook, RB.
Running back isn’t a pressing need for the Jaguars ahead of the draft but they should strongly consider adding depth to the position, as both Travis Etienne and James Robinson are coming off season-ending injuries. While the former might be back for this year’s Organized Team Activities, the latter could miss training camp and may not be ready for Week 1.
The good news is that there will be a handful of quality running backs available in the fourth round of the draft, including Georgia’s James Cook, who would give the Jaguars insurance in case Robinson hasn’t recovered for the start of the season. The former Bulldog toted the rock 113 times for 728 yards with seven touchdowns last season.
Moreover, Cook averaged 6.4 yards per carry and hauled in 27 receptions for 284 yards with four touchdowns. He’s a three-down back that could step into the Jags’ starting lineup if called upon.
Jaguars 7-round mock draft: 4th round, No. 115 pick – Cade Mays, OL.
The Jaguars currently hold 12 draft picks but they may not use all of them. They have a handful of sixth-rounders and they trade two of them to get back into the fourth round to take offensive lineman Cade Mays, who played right tackle in 2021 but can line up at guard and even at center.
Tyler Shatley will enter the 2022 season as the starting center but the Jaguars’ brass needs to groom a player who could eventually start in case he misses time or underperforms. Mays would be the ideal prospect in the fourth round.
Jaguars 7-round mock draft: 5th round, No. 157 pick: Andrew Stueber, OT.
The Jaguars sent their 2022 fifth-round pick to the Carolina Panthers as part of the C.J. Henderson trade last season. However, they acquired an extra one from the Minnesota Vikings when they traded edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue back in 2020. With that selection, Jacksonville takes Andrew Stueber, who started at right tackle for the Wolverines last season but may need to switch to guard in the pros.
Stueber plays better when he operates in a tight space and has the “stature, length, mental process, and craftiness” to move be a solid backup and maybe turn into a starter down the road. At this point of the draft, you need to target development prospects and selecting the Michigan product could end up paying off in the long run.
Jaguars 7-round mock draft: 5th round, No. 165: Troy Andersen, LB.
Again, the Jaguars will enter the draft with too many draft picks, which would be a good problem to have if most of them were in the first round but half of them are either sixth or seventh-rounders. Thus, it makes sense to use a few of them as part of a trade package. In this case, they send a sixth-round pick (No. 197) and a seventh-rounder (No. 235, via the Baltimore Ravens) to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for the 165th selection. With that pick, they take Montana State linebacker Troy Andersen.
The former Bobcat logged 47 total tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, two sacks, and two interceptions in 15 games last season. While he struggles to shed blocks, his speed makes him an interesting developmental prospect that could become a key cog on special teams.
Jaguars 7-round mock draft: 6th round, No. 180: Kalon Barnes, CB.
The Jaguars have three starting cornerbacks in Shaquill Griffin, Tyson Campbell and newly-acquired Darious Williams. Moreover, they brought back Tre Herndon and still have Chris Claybrooks on the roster. All things, considered, they’re set at the position, which is why they can wait until the sixth round of the draft to take a corner. With the 180th overall pick, Jacksonville chooses Baylor’s Kalon Barnes.
Last season, Barnes posted 23 total tackles and one interception. He’s got pretty good acceleration and can keep up with wide receivers downfield. He isn’t a sure tackler and needs to work on his technique but the Jaguars wouldn’t need to rush him due to the depth they currently have at cornerback.
Jaguars 7-round mock draft: 7th round, No. 222: Jack Coan, QB.
Quarterback is probably the one position the Jaguars don’t have to worry about with Trevor Lawrence entrenched as the unquestionable starter and C.J. Beathard set to be the primary backup. However, it would be smart to take a signal-caller late in the draft and have him compete with Jake Luton, whom they brought back last season, for the third spot on the depth chart. Notre Dame’s Jack Coan would be a solid candidate with the 222nd overall pick.
In 2021, Coan completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 3,150 yards with 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He’s a traditional pocket passer that needs to work on his touch and ball placement but could turn out to be a solid developmental prospect.