Jaguars may have found a potential draft steal in DE Myles Cole

More often than not, teams expect seventh-round picks to either become backups or contributors on special teams. However, defensive end Myles Cole, whom the Jacksonville Jaguars selected in Round 7 of the 2024 NFL Draft, could be more than that.

At 6'7" and 278 pounds, Cole possesses the physical traits general manager Trent Baalke covets in a pass rusher. Despite his size, Cole ran the 40-yard dash in an impressive 4.69 seconds at the Scouting Combine. On top of that, his 37-inch arms were the longest among edge rushers in the draft, so the tools are there for him to succeed in the NFL. Then again, there are a handful of reasons why the former Texas Tech Red Raider had to wait so long to hear his name called.

For starters, Cole will be 24 when the season starts but is still raw despite the fact that he spent six seasons in college. He needs to get better at defending the run and his hand usage will need some work. That said, there's a reason the Jaguars took a flyer on him.

While he must develop a more ample repertoire of moves, Cole has flashed pass-rush potential. Moreover, Matt Holder of the Bleacher Report scouting department believes his flaws against the run can be corrected. Add his off-the-chart size and length, and the Jaguars might have found a late-round gem.

The Jaguars will give Myles Cole a chance to develop

The Jaguars have a dominant pass-rush tandem in Josh Allen and Travon Walker. They registered 27.5 sacks between the two last year. However, the rest of their rotation is still a work in progress. Currently, Trevin Gipson, who signed in free agency, is No. 3.

Gipson has previously shown the ability to get after the quarterback and could enjoy a career revival in Jacksonville. On the other hand, he's coming off a pair of unremarkable seasons, and there's no guarantee he'll bounce back in 2024. That could pave the way for Cole to earn a role in the rotation.

There's no denying that Cole is a work in progress but as Matt Holder pointed out, he only got two years of Power 5 coaching. It's reasonable to assume that defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen and defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett will be able to unleash his potential.

Devid Kenyon of Bleacher Report, for one, believes, the Jaguars got great value in Cole, whom he called the biggest steal in the draft. Similarly, Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire had high praise for Cole, pointing out that he's got intriguing tools.

The bottom line is that Myles Cole is a project but one that has the physical tools to develop into an impact player. The Jacksonville Jaguars surely hope he does.

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