3 prospects we wish the Jacksonville Jaguars have selected in the 2023 NFL Draft
Prospect 2 we wish the Jacksonville Jaguars have drafted: Cam Smith
You could make the case that the second round had much better value than the first and there are reasons for that. There was a run at quarterbacks and offensive tackles early in the draft, so cornerbacks and tight ends that were expected to be selected in Round 1 had to wait to hear their name called.
One of the many surprises in the draft came when the Washington Commanders made Emmanuel Forbes the second cornerback drafted. That's right. After the Seattle Seahawks selected Devin Witherspoon at No. 5, it was Forbes and not Christian Gonzalez or Joey Porter Jr. the second corner off the board.
Gonzalez ended up going one pick after Forbes and Porter was the first pick in Round 2. The New York Giants also choose Deonte Banks with the 24th pick but even with those four gone, there was still plenty of cornerback talent available in the second round.
General manager Trent Baalke told the media that the top brass felt comfortable going with Tre Herndon into the season but that shouldn't have stopped them from making an effort to land Cam Smith, who landed with the Miami Dolphins with the 51st overall pick.
Trent Baalke says that Tre Herndon is the #Jaguars CB3 right now. Says they won a lot of football games last year with their current top 3 corners, and likes the younger, developing guys.
— Mia O'Brien (@MiaOBrienTV) April 29, 2023
... does note they'll be on the look-out on Day 3
Herndon is a solid option in the slot but Smith, who can line up inside or outside, could have challenged him for the nickel job and round out the cornerback group.