Jaguars roll with highly-touted CB instead of Brian Thomas Jr. in Draft do-over

Cornerback was a big need for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2024 NFL Draft. They had several chances to address the position in the first two rounds but opted to wait until the third to take care of it. This wasn't a bad strategy when you take into account that the Jags picked wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and defensive tackle Maason Smith. Having said that, Matt Holder of Bleacher Report believes they should've gone cornerback with the 17th overall selection.

Holder re-did the 2024 draft and had Jacksonville taking Terrion Arnold at No. 17 instead of trading down and taking Thomas, noting that they could've used a starting option at cornerback.

"This is another situation where need plays a major factor in the re-draft. While the Jacksonville Jaguars could use Thomas out wide, they have Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis for Trevor Lawrence to throw to. Also, this year's wide receiver class is deeper than the cornerbacks and the Jags could use another starting option at the latter position."

When the Jags were on the clock at No. 17, all cornerback prospects were still available, so they could've drafted anyone they wanted. Instead, they traded down six spots in exchange for the 23rd overall pick, a 2024 fourth-round pick, a 2025 third-round pick, and a 2025 fourth-rounder.

Quenyon Mitchell at No. 22 was the first cornerback off the board. Arnold went to the Detroit Lions two picks later. The Baltimore Ravens then selected Nate Wiggins 30th overall.

Entering the second round, there were still a handful of corners on the board, including Cooper DeJean, Kamari Lassiter, and Kool-Aid McKinstry. If Jacksonville wanted to, they could've moved up and targeted any of them. However, they stayed put at No. 42 and chose defensive tackle Maason Smith.

It's worth noting that Jacksonville was reportedly interested in Arnold. After trading down, he might've been the pick if Thomas had been off the board. On the other hand, it looks like they felt perfectly fine about waiting until the third round to select Jarrian Jones 96th overall.

So far, Jones has impressed in offseason workouts. Besides putting his athleticism and playmaking skills on display, he's shown the kind of confidence you want in young players. If the former Florida State Seminole keeps making strides, he could compete for a starting job in 2024. For the time being, Jones will tentatively open training camp as the CB3 behind Ronald Darby and Tyson Campbell.

On a related note, Thomas ended up going to the Cincinnati Bengals just one pick later in Holder's do-over.

Terrion Arnold could've helped the Jags but Brian Thomas Jr. seems like a keeper

There's no doubt Terrion Arnold would've bolstered the Jaguars' secondary. Moreover, cornerback would no longer be seen as a potential need ahead of the regular season. On the other hand, taking him 17th overall would've left a void at wide receiver.

Even though the team's brass signed Gabe Davis in free agency, they still needed to replace Calvin Ridley, who bolted for the Tennessee Titans in free agency.

Then again, if the Jags had gone cornerback, they would've probably kept Zay Jones instead of releasing him after the draft. But if given the choice, the front office would probably choose Thomas over Jones. When you factor in the three extra selections the team's brass acquired when they moved down, they surely feel great about the way things played out.

The truth is that Terrion Arnold could develop into a fine cornerback for the Detroit Lions but the Jacksonville Jaguars believe Brian Thomas will have a bigger impact as a pro.

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