The Jacksonville Jaguars had an uninspiring Day 2 in the 2023 NFL Draft. On the bright side, they started Day 3 with several selections in all four rounds and an emphasis on the defense. And with their first pick in Round 4, they chose Florida linebacker Ventrell Miller.
Miller joins a linebacker corps that already includes Devin Lloyd, Foyesade Oluokun, Chad Muma, and Shaquille Quarterman. At Florida, Miller showed great tackling skills and the ability to play zone. However, his limited athleticism was on display when he tried to get to the edge in run support.
The fact that the Jags' are stacked at linebacker could make it potentially difficult to get playing time early in his career. Even if he shines in training camp, it's hard to see him being more than a role player early in his NFL career.
Even though it's unrealistic to expect teams to address their bigger needs in the later rounds of the draft, the Jaguars' Day 2 picks didn't get great early reviews. While running back Tank Bigsby, (Round 3), and Miller could turn out to be great players, neither one filled a need. To make matters worse, the team's brass opted to add depth to positions that already had plenty of it (linebacker, running back).
General manager Trent Baalke told the media after Day 2 that the Jags wanted to trade back into the Round 3 but it takes to two tango and couldn't find a partner. Either way, it feels like they could've been more aggressive but opted to sit back and keep trading down once they players they had targeted were off the board.
Who else did the Jacksonville Jaguars pick in Round 4 of the 2023 NFL Draft?
With the 130th pick -- the Jags' second pick in Round 4, they took Oklahoma State defensive lineman Tyler Lacy, giving their defensive front a much-needed boost. Lacy has great tackling skills and good strength to create pressure up front. On the other hand, he must play with better leverage and likes ideal bend, which makes Keith Sanchez of The Draft Network wonder "what type of ceiling he offers at the next level".
The Jaguars' defensive line lacked depth last year and Lacey can be a solid role player early on. He won't probably get much playing time right off the bat and will instead be eased into the rotation. However, he has the potential to develop into a steady contributor.
It's great to see the Jacksonville Jaguars make an effort to upgrade their defense on Day 2 but it would have been great to see them start in Round 3. The Lacy and Miller picks are solid but it feels like they could have done more.