Jaguars get Aaron Rodgers No. 1 overall in win-now NFL mock draft

It’s hard to envision a scenario in which the Jacksonville Jaguars would trade Trevor Lawrence for any other quarterback. And it would only make sense if they could land an established talent, which is precisely what they did in a recent mock draft.

Chad Reuter of NFL Media recently drew up an NFL win-now mock draft and he had the Jags taking Aaron Rodgers with the first overall selection. He doesn’t share his reasoning behind the pick but it was a no-brainer. The former California Golden Bear is arguably the best quarterback in the league and one of the best ones since the Green Bay Packers drafted him 24th overall in 2005.

Rodgers has earned 10 Pro Bowl nods, four First-Team All-Pro designations, and has been the league’s MVP four different times during his illustrious career. He will most likely be enshrined in the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility once he decides to call it quits and most teams would surely like to have him. He isn’t the only difference-maker the Jags landed in Reuter’s mock draft though. Here are the remaining picks.

• Round 2: Chandler Jones, Edge (No. 64)
• Round 3: DeForest Buckner, DT (No. 65)
• Round 4: Harrison Smith, S (NO. 128)
• Round 5: Tyler Lockett, WR (No. 129)
• Round 6: Chidobe Awuzie, CB (No. 192)
• Round 7: La’el Collins, OT (No. 193)

That’s a pretty solid list, filled with players that would give the Jaguars a boost. This writer thought they should have pursued Chandler Jones in free agency, and La’el Collins, who was on the trade block, could have fortified their offensive line. Tyler Lockett would have given Aaron Rodgers a No. 1 receiver and Harrison Smith would have given defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell an enforcer. Similarly, general manager Trent Baalke would surely welcome a reunion with defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, his last first-round pick as a member of the San Francisco 49ers’ front office.

The Jaguars are building a well-rounded team around Trevor Lawrence

You might not agree with Aaron Rodgers’ mercurial personality but there’s no doubt he’s an elite quarterback. Having said that, there’s no way the Jaguars would change Lawrence. The former Clemson Tiger is the franchise quarterback they looked for through most of the team’s history.

The Jags recognize they have a generational talent in Lawrence and have built around him this offseason. Besides hiring a quarterback-friendly coach in Doug Pederson, they’ve gotten him a wide arsenal of weapons and have bolstered his protection upfront. In the same manner, they’ve fortified the defense, which will take some pressure off his shoulders.

Also, there’s the fact that Lawrence is a homegrown talent. As great as it is to see playmakers come to the Jaguars and help them win games, knowing they drafted and developed a building block would make them feel proud.

Lawrence is poised to make a leap in Year 2 and while he’s got a long way to go before he comes close to being mentioned in the same breath as Rodger, the future looks bright for the Jaguars’ sophomore quarterback.