Jaguars would land Liam Coen's favored draft target (and extra picks) in wild pitch

All eyes are on the Jacksonville Jaguars ahead of the NFL Draft. because nobody knows what they plan to do with the fifth overall pick. Running back Ashton Jeanty is quickly becoming the favorite to get the nod, but it could all turn out to be a smokescreen. In fact, their perceived interest in the 2024 Heisman Trophy finalist could prompt teams to trade for the No. 5 spot. Henry McKenna of Fox Sports believes the New Orleans Saints could be one such club.

McKenna drew up a mock draft and had the Saints trading for pick No. 5 and drafting Ashton Jeanty with it, pointing out that the former Boise State Bronco is one of the few elite players this year and swapping places with Jacksonville would let them get ahead of the Las Vegas Raiders.

At No. 9, McKenna has the Jaguars taking Darrick Harmon, the second or third-best defensive tackle of the class, depending on whom you ask. Here's the skinny.

"Harmon isn't a name seen often in the top 10 picks, but he might be the best interior pass-rusher in the class. And that makes for good value at this point in the draft. He's tough. He's athletic. He's a real centerpiece for a defense."

It's important to point out that McKenna isn't reporting that the Jaguars are arranging a trade with the Saints but rather sharing an opinion.

Given Las Vegas' strong interest in Jeanty, teams who are targeting him will need to get ahead of them. That makes the Jags the perfect trade-up partner. Aside from the Saints, other teams who could inquire about the fifth overall pick are the Chicago Bears, the Dallas Cowboys, and maybe even the Denver Broncos.

If the Jaguars traded down, they probably wouldn't do it for Harmon, who's projected to go in Round 2 and is entering the draft with medical red flags. Instead, expect them to make upgrades to the offense. One name who's been brought up is wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan because of head coach Liam Coen's soft spot for wide receivers. If they ended up at No. 9, there's a strong chance that he would be available.

Would the Jaguars pass on Ashton Jeanty to draft Tetairoa McMillan?

The Jacksonville Jaguars are in a prime position to draft Ashton Jeanty at No. 5. If he's their guy, it wouldn't make sense to shop the pick around. Then again, it would also make sense to move down a few spots, amass extra ammo, and take Tetairoa McMillan.

Jeanty would allow the Jaguars to establish the run, something they've failed to do the past two years, but McMillan would round out the wide receiver corps. One big difference is that Jeanty would have an immediate impact, whereas McMillan would probably start his rookie season behind Dyami Brown and Brian Thomas Jr. Then again, the prospect of getting a second-round selection, or any additional ammo, may be too good to pass up.

In the end, the decision could come down to how Jeanty and McMillan stack up in Jacksonville's big board, but one thing that could tip the scale in the latter's favor is that the Jags have Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby in the mix. Neither may be as talented as Jeanty, but they aren't a slouch. On the other hand, Jeanty is one of the few elite prospects in this year's draft, and the Jags could come to regret passing on him.

The truth is that as long as the Jaguars come out of the first round with a playmaker, it may not matter who they pick at No. 5.

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