One of the biggest challenges the Jacksonville Jaguars will face in the offseason will be keeping as many free agents as possible from leaving. This is going to be a tough task when you take into account that they won’t have as much cap space as they had last offseason. Then again, NFL clubs experience turnover on a yearly basis and the best ones have no trouble replenishing their roster.
The Jags will surely want to keep tight end Evan Engram, who’s scheduled to hit the open market after signing a one-year deal worth $9 million last season. The former Ole Miss Rebel has stated that he wants to come back to Jacksonville but he will be in demand if he hits the open market.
If Engram does leave in free agency, tight end will then be one of their biggest position needs in the offseason and they address it in this 2023 NFL Mock Draft.
Jacksonville Jaguars Mock Draft Round 1, 24th overall: Darnell Washington
The one thing that might allow the Jaguars to move on from Evan Engram is Doug Pederson’s track record of mentoring tight ends. As the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, he developed Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert. And as the Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator, he had a young Travis Kelce.
If Engram does walk away, the Jaguars would be in the position to take Georgia’s Darnell Washington with the 24th overall pick. His numbers won’t pop off of the stat sheet but he made the most out of his chances, hauling in 45 receptions for 774 yards with three touchdowns.
Washington would give Trevor Lawrence a massive target but he’s an equally adept blocker, posting a Pro Football Focus run-blocking grade of 81.4 in 2022, the fifth-highest among tight ends in the FBS.
Jacksonville Jaguars Mock Draft Round 2, 56th overall: Clark Phillips
After taking Darnell Washington in the first round, general manager Trent Baalke checks off another box in the Jags’ to-do list when he takes Utah cornerback Clark Phillips III in the second round.
Heck, you could make the case that cornerback is a bigger need than tight end but Washington is too good to pass up if he’s available at No. 24. Moreover, Phillips is no consolation prize. At 5’10” and 183 pounds, he’s a tad undersized and might struggle when covering big targets. On the other hand, the former Utah Ute got the speed to keep up with receivers and superb recognition skills.
Furthermore, Phillips can line up at nickel and the boundaries, a skill that would be appealing to Jacksonville or any team interested in drafting a cornerback. He made 31 collegiate starts and logged 110 total tackles, nine interceptions, and 29 passes defensed over the course of three seasons.
Cory Giddins of Bleacher Report’s scouting department notes that Williams does a good job of setting the perimeter when playing the run and believes his ball-hawking skill could make him an elite player at the NFL level. On the other hand, he points out that Williams could struggle to play outside given his size. Then again, he would be an early candidate to be the Jags’ nickel cornerback given that Darious Williams is expected to line up opposite Tyson Campbell.
After manning the slot early in the 2022 season, Williams moved outside and is projected to line up outside, ‘his natural spot, next season.
Jacksonville Jaguars Mock Draft Round 3, 88th overall: Mazi Smith
The Jaguars can’t afford to overlook their defensive front, especially when you take into account that defensive linemen Adam Gotsis and Arden Key are scheduled to be free agents and defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris could be released to free up a bit of cap space. Moreover, DaVon Hamilton is entering a contract year and it would be a good idea to look for a potential replacement at nose tackle.
There will be plenty of talented defensive linemen in the open market such as Javon Hargrave, Maurice Hurst, and Khalen Saunders. However, they might need to turn to the draft to bolster their front seven given their lack of cap space. One prospect that could be available in the third round is Michigan’s, Mazi Smith.
At 6’3″ and 337 pounds, Smith has the size to be a nose tackle in the NFL. He’s good at taking on double teams and has developed some to get after the quarterback besides the bull rush. On the other hand, he lacks quickness and isn’t great at creating pressure in spite of his athleticism.
Matt Holder of the B/R Scouting Department suggests Smith’s conditioning or lack thereof might be a reason for his subpar pash-rush motor. Holder adds that the defensive tackle might be a work in progress and but his potential will make him an enticing project.
The upside of taking Smith with the 88th overall pick is that he might not need to be a Day 1 starter and could sit while the coaching staff helps him untap his potential.