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3 draft picks the Jaguars got right and 2 moves they will regret

• The Jaguars load up on talent in the 2024 NFL Draft, but they also made a couple moves that could come back to haunt them in the regular season.

By Carlos Sanchez

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas (7) pulls in a pass during Friday's rookie minicamp
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas (7) pulls in a pass during Friday's rookie minicamp / Bob Self/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY
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Two moves from the 2024 NFL Draft that the Jaguars will regret:

The Jaguars will regret waiting until Round 3 to take a cornerback

Drafting defensive tackle Maason Smith has its merits. So did trading back and taking Brian Thomas Jr. the round before. That said, it was puzzling to see the Jaguars wait until the third round to take care of what was arguably their biggest need, the cornerback position.

Jarrion Jones, the Jaguars' pick at No. 96, could turn out to be a fine player, even a dependable starter. However, general manager Trent Baalke had a chance to take any cornerback he wanted with the 17th overall pick but passed.

Again, drafting Thomas was fine but why not trade back into the second round and take either Kool-Aid McKinstry or Cooper DeJean? Both were still on the board at the time. The silver lining is that if Jones doesn't pan out or Tyson Campbell leaves next year, Jacksonville has already addressed the wide receiver position and the interior defensive line, so they can fully focus on bolstering the cornerback room.

The Jaguars will regret waiting until the 7th round to draft a pass rusher

The Jaguars have an outstanding pair of bookend pass rushers in Josh Allen and Travon Walker but they need to round out their rotation. They could've done it in free agency or the draft but didn't make a priority.

The front office signed reclamation project Trevis Gipson in the open market and later drafted Myles Cole in the seventh round. However, the pass rush remains a work in progress. In the Jags' defense, Gipson has shown he can produce and Cole has been getting rave reviews due to his immense upside.

On the other hand, there could be a steep drop-off if either Allen or Walker misses time. Perhaps Gipson can enjoy a career revival in Jacksonville or maybe Cole will become a productive rotation piece. Having said that, the Jaguars' pass rush would be in much better shape if they had proven/reliable options behind Allen and Walker.

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