Jaguars' latest Pre-Draft visits could foreshadow an O-Line makeover in 2024

Wide receiver and cornerback are among the Jacksonville Jaguars' biggest needs heading into the 2024 NFL draft. It's assumed the front office will address one of them in the first round. However, a couple of prospect visits may be a sign they'll take a different path with the 17th overall pick.

The Jags hosted offensive lineman Troy Fautanu, per Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report. Not long after, they also brought in Amarius Mims, per Billy Marshall of Blue Wire Podcasts. This wouldn't be surprising if it weren't for the fact that both play offensive tackle and Jacksonville is set at the position.

Fautanu, a four-star prospect out of high school, began his collegiate career in 2019. He left Washington with 28 starts at left tackle and two at left guard. On the other hand, Amarius Mims started seven games at left tackle for Georgia.

Both Fautanu and Mims are expected to go early in the draft, probably in the first round. They're ranked 13th and 23rd in Pro Football Focus' top 300 board, respectively. Fautanu is expected to move inside in the NFL, but there may be a handful of teams that see him as a left tackle. For his part, Mims will probably stay at right tackle.

Troy Fautanu or Amarius Mims? Who's a better fit with the Jaguars?

Going offensive tackle in the first would be an interesting strategy for the Jacksonville Jaguars. After all, they have Cam Robinson, Anton Harrison, and Walker Little under contract throughout 2024. Then again, they could move on from either Robinson or Little to pave the way for Troy Fautanu or Amarius Mims.

The Jaguars have said that they expect Robinson to stick around in 2024, but what if they change their mind and trade him during the draft? Besides creating around $17 million in cap space, the Jaguars could either plug Fautanu in at left tackle or move Harrison to the position he played in college. That would in turn leave a clear path for Mims to start at right tackle.

For the sake of argument, let's say Jacksonville keeps Robinson in 2024. Harrison would remain at right tackle, and either Fautanu or Mims would spend their rookie season on the sidelines. While that could be a sound long-term plan, it doesn't make much sense when you consider that the Jags may need more immediate help at wide receiver or cornerback.

The Jaguars could also bump Fautanu inside. The issue with that strategy is that they just gave left guard Ezra Cleveland a new three-year deal, so it's hard to see Fautanu getting playing time inside anytime soon.

Having said that, it's possible that the team's brass is just doing due diligence with Fautanu and Mims. After all, they've met with multiple prospects during the draft process and they won't be selecting all of them. They have to plan for every possible scenario.

What if the receivers or cornerbacks the Jaguars want to target at No. 17 are off the board when they're on the clock? They must have a contingency plan in place. That's where doing their homework on Fatuanu and Mims could come in handy.

The bottom line is that going offensive tackle in the first round doesn't seem likely but it shouldn't be ruled out. Simply put, the Jacksonville Jaguars cannot afford to box themselves in a corner on the draft and must be open to all kinds of scenarios.

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