3 players the Jaguars could have taken instead of Luke Fortner in the 2022 NFL Draft
• Fortner has instead regressed and left a bit to be desired
• Here are 3 player the Jags could've drafted instead
2, Trey McBride, tight end
Tight end was one of the Jaguars' top needs last year. Although they had Chris Manhertz, Luke Fortner, and Dan Arnold on the roster, the three of them were better suited for either backup or niche roles. Thus, it made sense to lock up Evan Engram, one of the best options at the position in free agency.
With Engram in the fold, the Jaguars rounded out their tight end room. Maybe that's why they didn't keep bolstering the position in the draft. This in turn led them to miss out on Trey McBride, who went to the Arizona Cardinals with the 55th overall pick.
McBride was the first tight end drafted last year. While he appeared on 53 percent of the Cards' total snaps on ofense, he only caught 29 pases for 265 yards with one touchdowns. That was mostly due to the presence of Zach Ertz, who got a bigger share of targets.
However, Arizona saw enough growth in McBride this year that they felt comfortable moving on from Ertz to clear the way for him. With his veteran counterpart out of the picture, McBride has put his talent on display, hauling in 78 receptions for 791 yards with two touchdowns.
Had the Jaguars drafted McBride, they might have felt compelled to pass on Brenton Strange this year. So far, the jury is still out on Strange. He has done much of note as a rookie but he could end up making a leap in his sophomore season like McBride did.
Having said that, McBride would've give a dynamic tandem at tight end alongside Evan Engram.