Jaguars may spare no expenses to pick one of top receivers in 2024 NFL Draft

The Jacksonville Jaguars are looking for a replacement for Calvin Ridley after losing him in free agency. Based on a recent report by Albert Breer of NFL Media, they may be willing to trade up in the 2024 NFL Draft to fill the void.

Breer said in his MMQB column that the Jags have explored the possibility of moving up into the top 10 for either Rome Odunze or Malik Nabers, one of the top wideouts in this year's draft. They currently hold the 17th overall selection and would have to get to No. 8 or 9 to have a shot at selecting him or Rome Odunze.

"The Jaguars have explored moving up—and they’ve done a lot of work on the top receivers in the draft. Losing Calvin Ridley, even with Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis paid, makes that spot a priority. Failing that, corner, if either Arnold or Mitchell are available here, shapes up as a possibility, too."

The Chicago Bears hold selections No. 1 and No. 9. There's a 99.9 percent chance they'll take Caleb Williams first overall but their second selection could be coveted for teams interested in moving into the top 10. On a related note, Sheil Kapaida and Benjamin Solak have Jacksonville moving up to No. 8 to select Nabers in the Ringer's latest Mock Draft.

This was a bit of a surprising pick because the Atlanta Falcons haven't frequently come up as prospective trade partners. Then again, doing business with the Falcons or any other team shouldn't be ruled out, especially if the Jags are serious about picking Nabers or Odunze.

A two-year starter at LSU; Nabers can line up anywhere on the field and run all kinds of routes. He's a burner who can stretch the field in the blink of an eye. To nobody's surprise, he ran the 40-yard dash at his Pro Day in 4.35 seconds. All those traits allowed him to catch 89 receptions for 1,569 yards with 14 touchdowns last year.

Odunze is also a fine prospect who could have a huge impact right off the bat. While he isn't nearly as explosive as Nabers, he was equally productive at Washington, hauling in 87 receptions for 1,553 yards with 13 touchdowns in 2023.

Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze would be great but the Jaguars have options

At No. 17, the Jaguars could be in a position to select someone like Brian Thomas Jr., Keon Coleman or Adonai Mitchell. However, there's a steep dropoff from Nabers to them, which is why the Jags may be so eager to trade up to land Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze.

Marvin Harrison is expected to be the first receiver off the board but teams also have Nabers and Odunze in high regard. In fact, some of them have Nabers as the top receiver on their board. The Jaguars won't probably have a shot at taking Harrison but they may be able to select Nabers or even Odunze.

The Arizona Cardinals (No. 4) and the Los Angeles Chargers (No. 5) could take a receiver. At No. 6, the New York Giants are expected to go quarterback, and the Tennessee Titans are the favorite to select offensive tackle Joe Alt. For the sake of argument, let's say the Cardinals pick Harrison, the Jaguars would need to hope either Odunze or Nabers last until No. 8 or 9.

If both are gone by then, it won't make sense to trade up. Heck, if the Jaguars miss on Nabers, they may feel inclined to trade down and acquire extra picks.

The bottom line is that there are different ways the draft can unfold but the Jacksonville Jaguars are surely hoping there won't be an early run for receivers early in the draft.

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