The Jacksonville Jaguars took care of several key needs in free agency. Next, they'll need to keep loading up on talent in the 2024 NFL Draft. Working in their favor is that there are multiple directions the front office can take to fill the remaining holes. That said, there are no guarantees in the draft.
The Jags, in particular, have had a somewhat encouraging track record in the first round the past three years. However, their success rate decreases considerably in the later rounds. This begs the question, will Jacksonville be able to come out with a handful of playmakers, or will they squander most of their picks? This NFL Mock Draft explores the latter scenario.
Round 1, pick 17: Jackson Powers-Johnson
- Oregon, center
Before free agency, center Jackson Powers-Johnson was a trendy pick for the Jaguars at No. 17. This was a bit surprising for a handful of reasons. For starters, center isn't a premium position and teams can usually find a good one on Day 2 of the draft. Moreover, Jacksonville had bigger needs.
Make no mistake, Powers-Johnson is a fine player, a potential plug-in starter who'll provide stability on the interior offensive line for the next ten years. However, he isn't even the consensus top center in the draft. Heck, he may not even go in the first round. Either way, it would be odd to see the Jags taking the former Oregon Duck at No. 17, especially after signing Mitch Morse in free agency.
It's true that Morse isn't the long-term answer at center, but the Jaguars shouldn't worry about the position the next two years, the duration of his contract. Sure, they could add depth in the later rounds, but selecting Morse's potential replacement at No. 17 would be a recipe for disaster.
Simply put, the Jags have bigger needs, and using a first-round pick on a player who won't probably contribute right out of the gate would be a waste of resources.
Round 2, pick 48 - Nate Wiggins
- Clemson, cornerback
This year's draft is loaded at cornerback, which is great news for teams help at the positions. As many as five prospects have a first-round grade, but not all of them will be picked in the top 32. This means some of them will still be available in Round 2. The one the Jags should avoid but take in this mock draft is Nate Wiggins.
Wiggins could be a fan favorite because he played college football at Clemson like Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne did. Add the fact that he plays a position of need for Jacksonville and he appears to be an enticing option at 48. However, that may not be the case.
At 6'1" and 173 pounds, Wiggins has the length to play in the boundaries. He may need to bulk up a bit but he should be able to accomplish that in the offseason. The trouble is that the 2023 First-Team All-ACC is better suited to play zone. This could be a potential issue because the Jaguars will play press coverage under defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen.
While Wiggins could eventually develop into a solid press corner, there are other prospects who may be better fits in Nielsen's scheme. For the time being, he gets the nod in this worst-case scenario mock.
Round 3, pick 96 (complementary) - Johnny Wilson
- Florida State, wide receiver
On paper, this pick doesn't look that bad. After all, the Jaguars already address their most pressing need, and they would still need to add reinforcements to the wide receiver corps after losing Calvin Ridley in free agency. So what's wrong about taking Johnny Wilson in the third round?
At 6'6", Wilson has the size to be a massive target in the red zone but struggles to come down with contested catches. Furthermore, he's dealt with drops throughout his career. At this stage of his career, he's more of a developmental prospect. He may be able to correct both issues but he'll need time, which is why Round 3 would be too early for him.
The Jags need someone who can contribute as a rookie and potentially earn a big role on offense. Wilson might not be that player.
Round 4, pick 114 - T'Vondre Sweat
- Defensive tackle, Texas
When is the proper time to take a chance on a prospect with red flags? It depends. Some teams may be more lenient than others and Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke, for his part, isn't afraid of taking a chance on players with medical flags. That approach pays off at times. Sometimes, it doesn't.
Andre Cisco dealt with injuries at Syracuse but has managed to stay healthy. On the other hand, linebacker Ventrell Miller, a fourth-round pick in last year's draft, also suffered injuries at Florida and went on to miss his rookie campaign. But how about character flags? T'Vondra Sweat got arrested on suspicion of DWI days before the draft. Even though it shows poor judgment on his part, that alone may not be enough for Baalke to remove him from his draft board.
However, that's not the only concern surrounding Sweat. Before the arrest, there were questions about his stamina. He gets tired easily and still needs to work on becoming a steady pass rusher. All these things make the former Texas Longhorn a risky picky, even in the fourth round.
Round 4, pick 116 - Jonah Elliss
- Utah, pass rusher
The Jaguars would love to bolster their pass rush even with Josh Allen and Travon Walker in the fold. The duo accounted for 27.5 sacks in 2023 but they didn't get much production from the rest of the rotation.
The front office signed Trevis Gipson in free agency but he's a reclamation project. It would make sense to add someone else in the draft. There will be a handful of enticing developmental prospects on Day 3 of the draft but Jacksonville should avoid Johan Elliss.
Even though Elliss was highly productive at Utah, he lacks the ideal size to succeed in the NFL. Last year, they took a flyer on Yasir Abdullah, another prospect who thrived at the collegiate level but was undersized. Abdullah went on to have an unremarkable rookie season, posting just one total tackle.
Just because Abdullah struggled doesn't mean Elliss will but he'll have to face the same issues in the pros. That said, it's hard to see him making a successful transition despite his shortcomings.