The Jacksonville Jaguars don't have many glaring weaknesses ahead of the NFL Draft but could surely bolster a handful of position groups. Their defensive tackle room, in particular, is in dire need of upgrades. This led Mark Stolte of Pro Football Network to make a (puzzling) suggestion.
Stolte drew up a list of one free agent each NFL team should sign before the draft and chose John Jenkins for Jacksonville, pointing out that he would give them a starter next to Mason Graham and round out their defensive line rotation.
"The Jacksonville Jaguars could use anyone on their team right now, with so many spots to be filled both offensively and defensively. Unfortunately for them, there are no top-level interior defensive linemen to fill their biggest need.
Luckily, pairing John Jenkins with Mason Graham in the draft would be a start to fixing it. Jenkins was a below-average run defender last year but adds an improved dimension of pass-rushing to a team that totaled just 25 hurries and three sacks between their two current starters at defensive tackle."
It's not a given that Jacksonville will draft Mason Graham at No. 5, but he appears to be the favorite. For the sake of the argument, let's say that he does go to the Jags; he would join a rotation that includes Maason Smith, Arik Armstead, DaVon Hamilton, and Jordan Jefferson. This begs the question, would it make sense to sign Jenkins?
A third-round pick in 2012, Jenkins has suited up for the New Orleans Saints, the Seattle Seahawks, the Chicago Bears (twice), the Miami Dolphins, the New York Giants, and most recently, the Las Vegas Raiders. He's appeared in 150 games with 64 starts and registered 319 total tackles and 4.5 sacks.
As you can see, Jenkins' sack totals aren't something to write home about, he and would be a depth piece at most in Jacksonville.
John Jenkins would be a solid depth piece for the Jaguars (albeit unnecessary)
You have to be talented to last in the NFL as long as John Jenkins has. Sure, he's never made a Pro Bowl but has carved a niche as a rotational piece. That said, signing him ahead of or after the draft wouldn't make much sense. For starters, the Jacksonville Jaguars didn't make a single addition to the defensive line in free agency, but that's because they're waiting until the draft to add reinforcements.
General manager James Gladstone told the media after free agency that signing a veteran before the draft would get in the way of the incoming rookie class. Unless the Jags added a playmaker, someone who won't be a patch-up, it's hard to see them adding a depth piece.
If the Jaguars take Mason Graham, they will have taken care of a big need and rendered a potential Jenkins signing pointless. But even if the Jags don't roll with the former Michigan Wolverine, this year's class is loaded at defensive tackle. They could easily take Derrick Harmon or Walker Nolen in later rounds.
But even if the Jaguars draft a developmental prospect at defensive tackle (it doesn't seem likely), they have depth at the position. This is to say that they need a game-changer, not a rotational piece, with Maason Smith and Arik Armstead in the fold. This is why it would be odd to sign someone who's going to make their rotation just marginally better and probably won't be in Jacksonville long-term.
Never say never, but the Jacksonville Jaguars wouldn't gain much by signing John Jenkins draft. They could give him a look in training camp, but that's as far as they should go, and only if they didn't address the defensive tackle position the way they wanted.