Jacksonville Jaguars vs the NFL: The case for drafting defense

The Jaguars must pair Trevor Lawrence with an elite defense.

In concert with this year’s free agency, the team did not ignore offense in last year’s draft. Of the five premium picks the team held in the first three rounds of the 2021 NFL draft, three were spent on offense and two on defense. To no one’s surprise, the Jaguars took Trevor Lawrence No. 1 overall. With the emergence of the other two picks, Travis Etienne and Walker Little, the offense is likely to have as many as five different starters on offense in 2022, and possibly more.

In 2022, the Jags are set to add four picks in the first three rounds, and numerous mocks have them selecting a pass rusher with number one overall. Increasingly, defensive players are being mocked to them at the top of the second round as well.

For some fans, anything other than spending the vast majority of your draft capital building around Lawrence is heresy. In their minds, the franchise has a potentially generational quarterback, and they should do everything within their power to give him every possibility to succeed. But, having already replaced more than a third of the offensive starters, there is not a pressing need to spend all 4 premium picks on offense. A stingy defense will help Trevor Lawrence too.

It’s a given that the Lawrence-led Jaguars are going to have to score a lot of points over the next several years in order to become contenders. But, with so many elite quarterbacks and passing attacks in their conference, pairing an elite D-fence with Trevor Lawrence could be the smart route. So, don’t be surprised if the Jags make defense a priority in the upcoming draft. And maybe, don’t be upset. You’ll be glad when the day comes that the Jags only have to score 27 to beat the Chiefs (Or Bengals, Chargers, Broncos, Raiders, Colts, Browns, etc.) and not 40. With so many elite passers standing between the Jaguars and the Super Bowl, the Defense will never rest.