The Jacksonville Jaguars finished the 2020 season with a 1-15 but that’s not a bad thing when you take into account that inability to win games helped them clinch the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Of course, one of the reasons the Jags struggled to win games in 2020 was the dearth of talent on the roster, which is why it was critical for them to nail most of their draft picks last year. Here’s a list of all the picks the team made:
Here’s a list of all the Jaguars’ draft picks in the 2021 NFL Draft
- Trevor Lawrence, QB, No. 1 (first round)
- Travis Etienne, RB, No. 25 (first round)
- Tyson Campbell, No. 33 (second round)
- Walker Little, OT, No. 45 (second round)
- Andre Cisco, S, No. 65 (third round)
- Jay Tufele, DT, 106 (fourth round)
- Jordan Smith, OLB, No. 121 (fourth round)
- Luke Farrell, TE, No. 145 (fifth round)
- Jalen Camp, WR, No. 209 (sixth round)
Keep in mind that Jalen Camp didn’t make the Jaguars’ 53-man roster last year and is currently with the Houston Texans. On the other hand, Jay Tufele was waved before the start of the 2022 season and is now an important piece on the Cincinnati Bengals’ defensive line rotation.
Jordan Smith was a healthy scratch throughout most of his rookie campaign and is currently out for the year after suffering a knee injury in the offseason. But how is the rest of the Jags’ 2021 draft class? How have they fared and who’s currently their biggest difference-maker? Here’s a ranking of all the picks that are currently on the roster.
No. 6 Jaguars 2021 Draft ranking: Luke Farrell, TE
Even though tight end was one of the Jaguars’ biggest needs last year, they waited until the fifth round to address it when they chose Luke Farell. The former Buckeye hardly saw the field in 2021 and finished the year with seven receptions for 56 yards.
Farrell hasn’t gotten much playing time this season, appearing in just 7.0 percent of the Jags’ total snaps on offense. At this point in his career, he’s nothing more than a backup and it’s hard to see him getting a bigger role in the foreseeable future.
No. 5 Jaguars 2021 Draft ranking: Walker Little, OT
Once seen as a potential top-10 selection, Walker Little suffered an ACL injury in 2019 and opted out of the 2020 college season due to COVID-19 concerns. This likely played a role in his tumble to the second round of the draft.
Nevertheless, the Jaguars’ brass felt like they couldn’t pass up the chance to take Little with the 45th overall pick despite the fact that they had just applied the franchise tag on left tackle Cam Robinson.
Little made his first NFL start in Week 6 of the 2021 season and gave up two sacks. However, he played considerably better in the next two. With the Jags giving Robinson a three-year deal worth $54 million earlier this year, Little moved to the right side, where he competed with Jawaan Taylor for the starting job and lost.
Taylor is set to become a free agent next offseason, so Little will most likely be given a chance to earn the starting job at right tackle in 2023.
No. 4 Jaguars 2021 Draft ranking: Tyson Campbell, CB
The Jaguars were stacked at cornerback last year but Tyson Campbell managed to separate himself from the bunch and stand out. The former Georgia Bulldog manned the slot on Day 1 but later moved to the boundaries when Jacksonville traded former first-round pick C.J. Henderson to the Carolina Panthers.
Campbell struggled early in his rookie campaign but that was mostly due to being miscast in the slot and a nagging toe injury. Once he lined up outside and was 100 percent healthy, he started to improve and ended the year with a team-high two interceptions.
The Georgia native picked up where he left off in his rookie year and has low-key become one of the best corners in the NFL. He’s started every game this season and has allowed a 58.1 percent completion rate. He’s also registered four passes defended and two interceptions.
No. 3 Jaguars 2021 draft rankings: Andre Cisco, S
Andre Cisco was a playmaker in college, logging 13 interceptions and 14 pass deflections in 24 games, so why did he fall to the third round of last year’s draft? He first suffered a lower-body injury that forced him to miss a few games in 2019. He then missed most of the 2020 season after tearing his ACL, so teams were rightfully concerned about his injury red flags.
Had the former Syracuse Orangeman been healthy, he might’ve been a first-round selection, so the Jags were fortunate to land him in the third round, as he’s gone on to become a key cog in their secondary. Cisco has started all 10 games this season and has a team-high three interceptions. If he keeps playing well, he might have a shot at playing in the 2022 Pro Bowl games.
No. 2 Jaguars 2021 draft rankings: Trevor Lawrence, QB
As soon as the Jaguars clinched the first overall pick in the 2021 draft, Trevor Lawrence was linked to them, and it’s easy to see why. Although Zach Wilson and Justin Fields were fine prospects coming out of college, neither one was as highly touted as the former Clemson Tiger coming out of college.
But Lawrence couldn’t just wave a magic wand and grant wins to the Jaguars. In fact, Mac Jones and Davis Mills — lower-ranked prospects — went on to have better rookie campaigns than Lawrence because the Jaguars failed to effectively put them in a position to succeed.
With a better supporting cast and a competent head coach in Doug Pederson, Lawrence has improved in Year 2. However, he’s still a work in progress and might need another season to prove he’s the Jaguars’ long-answer at quarterback.
No. 1 Jaguars 2021 draft rankings: Travis Etienne, RB
Trevor Lawrence will probably have the biggest impact down the road but running back Travis Etienne is arguably the Jaguars’ best player right now. The former Clemson Tiger was set to have an important role on offense in 2021 but he suffered a Lisfranc injury in the preseason that ended his rookie season before it started.
Etienne started the 2022 season behind James Robinson on the depth chart but he saw his workload steadily increase and has gone on to become one of the top running backs in the NFL. He’s averaging 5.5 yards per carry and has logged 100 rushing yards or more in three of the last four games. Looking back, trading James Robinson to the New York Jets might not have been such a bad idea.