5 players the Jaguars might regret passing on in the 2022 NFL Draft
No. 2 player the Jaguars might regret not drafting: Ikem Ekwonu, OT
The Jaguars had the same issue in both the first and second rounds of the draft. So many options and just a finite amount of selections. For a while, they were linked to North Carolina State offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu and if they had taken him, nobody would have batted an eye. In fact, that looked like the most plausible outcome until they gave Cam Robinson a three-year deal worth $54 million.
Even when the Jags applied the franchise tag on Robinson, there was a chance they would take Ekwonu since it was uncertain if the front office wanted to make a long-term commitment to him. That possibility eventually went out of the window once they gave him a multi-year contract. Had Jacksonville let Robinson walk away in free agency, they could have taken Ekwonu with the top pick in the draft and plug him at left tackle from Day 1.
During the predraft process, reports about Ekwonu impressing the Jaguars popped up and it’s easy to see why. The North Carolina native acknowledged that he still needs to work on his pass-protections skills but he said he was willing to put in the work.
Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal would have also fit the bill since he was a favorite to land in Jacksonville earlier this year. In the end, the team decided to go with the devil they knew at left tackle, which paved the way for Travon Walker at No. 1. And speaking of Walker…