4 grave offseason mistakes the Jacksonville Jaguars must avoid in 2024

1. Making unecessary additions in free agency or the draft

Drafting Anton Harrison 27th overall proved to be one of the best moves the Jaguars made last year. But the same cannot be said about their picks in the second and third rounds. Even though the Jaguars had needs on the interior offensive line and the pass rush, they chose tight end Brenton Strange and running back Tank Bigsby with picks No. 61 and 88, respectively.

While Strange and Bigsby could become steady contributors down the road, it didn't make sense to use a pair of early-round picks in role players last year when the Jaguars already had starters at their respective positions. The fact that they hardly ever played as rookies makes their selection look even worse. Either way, that's done and the Jaguars cannot dwell in the past.

Rather, the top brass must ensure they acquire players who can contribute as soon as possible. You could make the case that no team should ever draft for needs and should instead look for the best player available. The issue with that approach is that Jacksonville entered the offseason with clear needs, and cannot afford to bring in players who won't see the field often in 2024.

For example, drafting an offensive tackle in the first round when center or guard are bigger needs would be puzzling. The same is true for safety and the linebacker corps. The Jaguars cannot invest in either position group when they have other more pressing holes to fix.

The bottom line is that the Jaguars need to use most of their assets in free agency and the draft on immediate needs. They already have lots of talent in place, they just need to round out the roster.

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