With the NFL Draft just hours away, speculation is rampant about what the Jacksonville Jaguars will do at No. 5. A report suggests they will make a strong effort to trade up for the No. 2 pick. Simlarly, moving down a few spots shouldn't be ruled out, but what if they stay put? Green Bay Packers running backs Josh Jacobs just gave the Jags a reason not to pass on Ashton Jeanty.
Jacobs made an appearance on the NFL Network and had nothing but praise for Jeanty, noting that the 2024 Heisman Trophy finalist is elite (just like him).
"He's phenomenal. He's going to be a guy in this league. I think he's gonna have success early, no matter what team he goes to, honestly," Jacobs told Ian Rapoport and James Palmer of NFL Media. "I think for him, the biggest thing is going to be learning a new system, getting adjusted to the NFL, finding out what works for him and what doesn't work on this level, but I think that he's going to have a lot of success."
Jacobs continued, "...When you come in, you should hit the ground running. Especially for a guy that's elite like him. I think he's gonna do fine."
It takes one to know one, and Jacobs surely knows a good running back when he sees one. A mainstay of the Las Vegas Raiders for several years, he signed with the Packers last year. The Alabama product may or may not be in the same echelon as Jeanty, but his remarks shouldn't go unnoticed.
THe former Boise State Bronco churned out more yards after the contact than several running backs did in total last year. HIs abilty to break tackles should most definitely give the Jaguars' offense another dimension.
The Jacksonville offense will be built around Trevor Lawrence, but adding Jeanty to the mix would take some pressure off his shoulders. Sure, the Jags have Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne around, but Jeanty could turn out to be better than them.
Will the Jaguars draft Ashton Jeanty or Travis Hunter?
For months, Mason Graham was favored to go to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but Ashton Jeanty supplanted him as the most likely pick at No. 5 in recent weeks. If they stay put, he would probably give them the most bang for the buck, but the Jags are reportedly making a strong effort to trade for the No. 2 pick. If they get a deal done with the Cleveland Browns, they'll most likely roll with Travis Hunter.
But if Jacksonville keeps the fifth overall pick, though, theres' a strong chance they'll draft Jeanty... unless a team gets ahead of them and poaches him. Another alternative would be to trade the pick for teams interested in the former Boise State Bronco, so the Jaguars can take Tetairoa McMillan. That could be a realistic outcome if they like McMillan more than Jeanty.
The truth is that it's hard to tell what the Jaguars plan to do, but Ashton Jeanty will be their best choice if they fail to trade up or down.