There’s a long list of issues that have prevented the Jacksonville Jaguars from winning games over the last 10 years. Not having the right coach in place has certainly played a role. Not being able to retain their homegrown talent hasn’t helped either but their inability to identify and acquire difference-makers in the NFL Draft.
That’s why the Jags needed to come out of this year’s draft with a solid haul and by all appearances, that’s precisely what they did. Here are grades for all of their picks in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Grading Jaguars 2022 NFL Draft: Round 1, No. 1 pick – Travon Walker, DL.
Once the Jaguars applied the franchise tag on left tackle Cam Robinson — and subsequently gave him a three-year, $54 million deal — the No. pick was always going to come down to Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson or Georgia’s Travon Walker.
A few weeks before the draft, the Jags were leaning toward taking Walker first overall and he was ultimately their choice. The biggest knock on the Georgia native was his lack of production at the collegiate level, posting 9.5 sacks over a three-year span. However, he wasn’t solely a pass rusher on the Bulldog’s defense and had all kinds of responsibilities and roles across the defensive line.
Walker will settle on one position in the pros but he has all the traits to become a dominant edge rusher in the pros. Moreover, he will be a force against the run from Day 1. The Jags took a risky gamble at No. 1 but it’s one that could pay significant dividends down the road. In the future, his grade could be better or worse. For the time being, he gets a solid mark.
Grade: B
Grading Jaguars 2022 NFL Draft: Round 1, No. 27 pick – Devin Lloyd, LB.
Linebacker wasn’t at the top of the Jaguars’ to-do list ahead of the draft but it was definitely in need of a boost. Not wanting to run the risk of missing out on Utah’s Devin Lloyd, they jumped back into the first round and selected Utah’s Devin Llyod with the 27th overall pick.
To pull off the trade, the Jaguars sent picks 30, 106, and 180 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. All things considered, it wasn’t a hefty price to move up six spots when you take into account that the Jags had 12 selections at their disposal. Jacksonville let Damian Wilson walk away this offseason and they also released long-time mainstay Myles Jack. Needing to revamp their linebacker corps, they signed Foyesade Oluokun in free agency and later drafted Lloyd to line up next to him.
Lloyd will most likely be a Day 1 starter. The California native was a three-year starter for the Utes. Last season, he appeared in 14 games and logged 111 total tackles, 22 tackles for a loss, seven sacks, one forced fumble, four interceptions, and six passes defensed. He gives defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell a player that can stop the run, drop in coverage and blitz.
During the pre-draft process, Lloyd was among the top-ranked linebacker prospects, so it was a bit shocking to see the Jaguars have a shot a landing him. They realized that they couldn’t pass up the chance to add an immediate starter to their defense, so they wasted no time calling the Bucs about trading back into the first round. Future favors the bold, and bold, the Jags were when they targeted Lloyd.
Grade: A
Grading Jaguars 2022 NFL Draft: Round 3, No. 65 pick – Luke Fortner, OL.
While the Jaguars traded up to bolster their linebacker corps in the first round, they chose to patiently wait for center Luke Fortner to fall to them at No. 65. They needed to fill the void left by Brandon Linder, who called it quits not long after free agency started.
Tyler Shatley, who has started 18 games over the last two seasons, will be the first in line to replace Linder. However, the Jags knew they needed a long-term solution at center and Fortner could be that player. Fortner was granted an extra year of eligibility at Kentucky due to the COVID-19 pandemic and he made the most of it.
After previously lining up at guard, he made 13 starts at center and was a First-Team All-SEC selection in 2021. Moreover, he posted a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 85.0, which ranked eighth-best in the country.
The Ohio native should continue to get better and may be given a legitimate shot to compete with Shatley for the starting job. If he happens to lose, the Jags can have him sit his rookie campaign but if he wins, the Jags will have found a long-term term at center, and the best part could be that they didn’t have to trade up to land him. Sure, Tyler Linderbaum and Cam Jurgens were ranked higher and might have been pretty good additions in Rounds 1 or 2 but Fortner’s upside is too much to ignore.
Grade: B
Grading Jaguars 2022 NFL Draft: Round 3, No. 70 pick – Chad Muma, LB.
The Jaguars’ defense showed flashes at times last season but ultimately ranked 28th in points allowed. One of their bright spots was linebacker Damien Wilson, who signed a one-year deal last offseason.
While Wilson wasn’t much of a factor early in the 2021 season, he steadily improved and became one of the Jaguars’ most consistent defenders. He showed proficiency to blitz and even snagged his first career interception. However, the top brass opted not to re-sign him and he went on to join the Carolina Panthers. The silver lining is that the Jags made an aggressive effort to upgrade their linebacker corps. Not only did they sign Foye Oluokun in free agency but they drafted Devin Lloyd. However, Jacksonville wasn’t done revamping the unit and drafted Chad Muma with their second-third round pick.
At first, Muma looks like an unnecessary luxury but he was one of the top-rated linebacker prospects of the class. Last season, he appeared in 13 games and had 142 total tackles, eight tackles for a loss, 1..5 sacks, and three interceptions. Even if isn’t a Day 1 starter, the Wyoming product should still get significant playing time as a rookie. A converted safety, he lined up at all linebacker spots for the Cowboys and it wouldn’t be shocking to him to be part of blitz packages.
General manager Trent Balke told the media before the draft that he wouldn’t mind taking the best player available and making a position group stronger. He showed he was being truthful when the Jags drafted Muma.
Grade: A
Grading Jaguars 2022 NFL Draft: Round 5, No. 154 pick – Snoop Conner, RB.
Running back was low-key a need for the Jaguars this offseason with both Travis Etienne and James Robinson coming off serious injuries. Etienne suffered a Lisfranc injury last preseason and should have no limitations in training camp. However, Robinson might not be a full-go until the start of the 2022season, so it made sense for the team’s brass to another running back to their backfield.
Instead of targeting some of the top players in free agency, the Jags waited until the fifth round to take Ole Miss’ Snoop Conner. But in order to land him, Jacksonville had to trade for the No. 154 pick, which they got from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for picks No. 188 and No. 198. On a side note, Jacksonville also had picks No. 157th and No. 235 but traded them to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a fourth-round selection in 2023.
Before the draft, Trent Baalke told the media that there were going to be plenty of talented running backs in the middle of the drafts and once they address other positions, the Jags added Conner.
The Mississippi native wasn’t a lead back for the Rebels but he was productive when he got the ball in his hands, racking up 304 carries, for 1,580 yards with 26 touchdowns. Conner doesn’t have top speed and needs to work on his pass-catching skills. Nevertheless, he could get a big workload early in the season if Robinson isn’t good to go. Still, he needs to show he’s a legitimate option in the Jaguars’ passing game and be a three-down back, which is why his grade takes a slight hit.
Grade: C+
Grading Jaguars 2022 NFL Draft: Round 6, No. 197 – Gregory Junior, CB.
Cornerback Gregory Junior was the first player in Ouachita Baptist to be ever be drafted. Even though the Jags have a trio of starting cornerbacks in Shaquill Griffin, Tyson Campbell, and Darius Williams, they needed to add depth to the position and it seemed reasonable to do it in the sixth round.
So what are the Jaguars getting in Junior? The 6-foot, 190-pound cornerback has the physicality, speed, and tackling skills to carve a niche on special teams. At Ouachita Baptist’s Pro Day, he had a 4.46 time in the 40-yard dash and posted a 1.63 time in the 10-yard split. Last season, Junior made 11 starts and logged 46 tackles, and seven passes defensed. He also earned a First-Team All-Great American Conference designation.
Grade: C
Grading Jaguars 2022 NFL Draft: Round 7, No. 222 – Montaric Brown, CB.
With their last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the 222nd overall selection, the Jags took Arkansas cornerback Montaric Brown. This was kind of puzzling when you take into account that they just chose Gregory Junior with their previous choice.
While you can never have enough healthy cornerbacks, Jacksonville could have taken a quarterback prospect to groom behind C.J. Beathard or add depth to their offensive line. Still, Brown might have been the highest-graded player on the Jaguars’ board when he was drafted. In fact, he might turn out to be even better than Junior. He gives the Jaguars a cornerback with great ball skills that can play zone. Last season, he appeared in 13 games and had 54 total tackles and six pass deflections.
Grade: B