Even though the NFL Draft is just days away, there's no consensus on whom the Jacksonville Jaguars will select at No. 5. But as important as that will pick will be, they must also ace the one in Round 2.
With pick No. 36, the Jaguars can address whatever position they skipped in the first round. And at that point of the draft, they should have no trouble finding a potential Day 1 contributor. This begs the question, who should be the pick in Round 2? Jacksonville would gladly pick any of the following four.
Josh Simmons, offensive tackle
Unlike defensive tackle or running back, this year's offensive tackle class isn't that deep. In fact, there's a steep dropoff from Will Campbell and Armand Membou to the next tier. That said, there are a handful of bigs who could garner attention late in the first round or early in the second. Josh Simmons should be one of them.
Simmons was seen as a surefire first-round selection ahead of the 2024 season but now is more likely to fall to Round 2. Nevertheless, the Ohio State has plenty of things to like, including his athletic ability. On the other hand, there are questions about his recovery from a patella injury he suffered last year. If that's not a concern for the Jags, he could come in and compete for a starting job.
Walter Nolen, defensive tackle
As noted before, this draft is stacked with defensive tackle talent, so the Jaguars could easily pass on Mason Graham in the first round and take one on Day 2 of the draft. In fact, that's a realistic scenario if they opt for running back Ashton Jeanty at No. 5.
One alternative to Graham would be Walter Nolen. The former Ole Miss Rebel is projected to go into the second round, but nobody would bat an eye if he sneaks into the top 32. Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah argues that he's the twitchiest defensive tackle of his class, and if that's the case, Jacksonville'd better hope he's available at No. 36.
Jayden Higgins, wide receiver
The Jaguars need to add reinforcements to their wide receiver corps, so it's not surprising to know that they appear to be setting their sights on Jack Bech and Emeka Egbuka at No. 36. Both players could come in a replace Christian Kirk, but they're far from the only options who'll be available in Round 2.
Jayden Higgins has gotten lots of praise ahead of the draft, with former NFL receiver Steve Smith going as far as saying that he could sneak into the first round. Like Egbuka and Bech, Higgins is a dynamic route-runner. His ability to win contested catches should be appealing to teams in need of wide receiver help.
TreVeyon Henderson, running back
Ashton Jeanty seems to be the favorite to go to Jacksonville at No. 5, but nothing is set in stone, so it wouldn't be shocking if the Jaguars take a different route. But even if they address a different position in the first round, they should consider adding a running back at some point in the draft.
After Jeanty, Omarion Hampton may be the second-best running back in the draft. Both of them will probably go in the first round. That would leave TreVeyon Henderson as the best option for teams that want to upgrade their backfield.
A couple things that could make the Jags gravitate toward Henderson are his average of 7.0 yards per carry and the fact that he hasn't fumbled since his freshman season at Ohio State.