Jaguars 4-round mock draft: Trading for L'Jarius Sneed and fixing the O-Line
• The Jaguars address most of their top needs in this four-round mock draft.
The Jacksonville Jaguars entered the offseason with plenty of needs but they'll most likely have to wait until the draft to address them. With $24 million in cap space, they'll probably focus on bringing back their own players and adding depth in free agency. Then again, the draft will be loaded at positions where the Jags could use help, so it's not necessarily a bad thing.
In particular, this year's class will be stacked with intriguing prospects at wide receiver, cornerback, the interior offensive line, and the defensive line. So which route will Jacksonville go? Here's a look at how the draft's first four rounds could play out.
1. Jackson Powers-Johnson, C: Round 1, pick 17
The Jaguars could go in several directions at No. 17, and they could easily find a center in Rounds 2 or 3, but why not go for the best? Jackson Powers-Johnson has the size, athleticism, and power to be a Day 1 starter. Most of his flaws can be corrected with coaching, so it's fair to say that he would have no trouble taking the job away from incumbent Luke Fortner.
When Powers-Johnson was asked what makes him a great center at the scouting combine, he held no words back:
Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson talked about what he thinks makes him the best center in this class.
— Blaine Grisak 💭 (@bgrisakTST) March 2, 2024
“Just my enthusiastic play and my physicality. I’m a bigger center and I think I move pretty good. Just being a physical, nasty center.” pic.twitter.com/nkls3yjBwI
Fortner, a third-round pick in 2022, has made 34 consecutive starts but he struggled in a year he was supposed to make strides. He was 31st among centers in pass block win rate last year, and he didn't fare much better against the run. In Powers-Johnson, the Jaguars have a sturdy center that will allow them to run the ball inside and keep Trevor Lawrence protected.