The Jacksonville Jaguars didn't make any splash free-agent signings last year because they wanted to build through the draft. At the time, the strategy made sense. The Jags were coming off a trip to the postseason and had built a solid core. It was fair to assume that they were going to be in a position to make a deep playoff push if they came out of the draft with a handful of building blocks. Unfortunately, things didn't play out the way Jacksonville expected.
The Jags started 8-3 in 2023 but managed to win only one game the rest of the way. Looking back, there were many reasons for their late-season collapse. Not getting meaningful production from their rookie class most definitely played a role.
This begs the question, how does the Jaguars' 2023 draft class look one year later? Here's a grade for each of the 13 picks they made.
Anton Harrison, OT - Round 1, pick 27
The Jags selected Anton Harrison 27th overall after trading back twice on Draft Day. Even though he mostly played left tackle at Oklahoma, Harrison moved to the right side to replace Jawaan Taylor, who signed with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Harrison struggled early in his transition to right tackle, but he had hit his stride by the end of the season. There's a chance he could move back to the left side if the Jags move on from incumbent Cam Robinson. But regardless of where he lines up, Harrison should continue to get better in Year 2.
Grade B
Brenton Strange, TE - Round 2, pick 61
At the time of the draft, Evan Engram's future in Jacksonville was in doubt. He got the franchise tag but hadn't signed his tender, so it made sense to draft a young tight end as insurance. The Jags could've targeted Dalton Kincaid, Luke Musgrave, Michael Mayer, or even Sam LaPorta in the first or second round but instead zeroed in on Brenton Strange.
Strange went on to have an underwhelming rookie season. It's true that Engram was the starter but if he had had the coaches' trust, he would've gotten more playing time. The former Penn State Nittany Lion finished the year with a measly five receptions for 35 yards with one touchdown.
In his defense, Strange fared well as a blocker. Then again, you don't use a second-round pick in a blocking tight end. Maybe Strange will get better down the road but he was most definitely a disappointment in 2023.
Grade D
Tank Bigsby, RB - Round 3, pick 88
The Jaguars thought they were getting a 1-2 punch at running back when they drafted Tank Bigsby. The plan was to give Bigsby carries and decrease Travis Etienne's workload but it didn't work in practice. Leaving aside that the offensive line couldn't open running lanes, Bigsby made several mental mistakes. A few of them resulted in turnovers.
That might've been justifiable if Bigsby had been productive but that wasn't the case. The former Auburn Tiger averaged less than 3.0 yards per carry as a rookie. By the end of the season, D'Ernest Johnson had got ahead of him on the depth chart. Head coach Doug Pederson says he expects more from Bigsby in 2024 but it's fair to say that the early returns haven't been great.
Grade: D
Ventrell Miller, LB - Round 4, pick 121
Linebacker Ventrell Miller was a playmaker early in his college career. However, a torn bicep and a foot injury in 2022 and 2023, respectively, hurt his draft stock. Miller had foot surgery early in 2023. He managed to stay healthy for most of the offseason but ultimately suffered an Achilles tear in training camp that finished his rookie campaign before it even started.
Miller should be at full strength in 2024. If he is, he could push Chad Muma and even seize the top backup spot at middle linebacker. For the time being, he gets an F, because availability is the most important ability and he's yet to log a snap in the regular season.
Grade: F
Tyler Lacy, DE - Round 4, pick 130
Defensive end Tyler Lacy was expected to crack the defensive line rotation in his rookie year. He did but otherwise failed to make an impact, playing 15 percent of the team's defensive snaps and registering 12 total tackles. He may get a bigger role in defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen's scheme but needs to improve if he doesn't want to enter the preseason on the fringe.
Grade: D
Yasir Abdullah - Round 5, pick 136
Edge rusher Yasir Abdullah was seen as a sleeper pick for a couple reasons. Besides being highly productive at Louisville, the Jaguars needed to bolster their pass-rush rotation. Former first-round pick K'Lavon Chaisson was No. 3 behind Travon Walker and Josh Allen, so it was thought Abdullah could challenge Chaisson and earn playing time.
In the end, Abdullah went on to have an unremarkable rookie year. Despite the fact that he made the 53-man roster, he was a healthy scratch for several games and finished 2023 with just one total tackle. He might need to compete for a roster spot next season.
Grade: F
Antonio Johnson, DB - Round 5, Pick 160
Defensive back Antonio Johnson was a revelation as a rookie and one of the Jaguars' most recent gem in the later rounds of the draft. Right off the bat, the former Texas A&M Aggie impressed the coaching staff. Although the team wanted him to solely play safety, he got lots of reps at nickel in training camp.
Although a hamstring injury forced Johnson to miss four contests to start the 2023 season, he quickly made an impact once he was able to contribute. He progressively got more playing time and finished his rookie year with two interceptions, one forced fumble, and three passes defensed.
Johnson will move back to safety and start next to Andre Cisco in 2024. He should have an even better sophomore campaign under defensive backs coach Kris Richard.
Grade: A
Parker Washington, WR - Round 6
Wide receiver Parker Washington got praise in training camp, but he didn't get many targets once the season started. One reason was that he's best suited to line up in the slot. With Christian Kirk getting most of the workload inside, Washington didn't get much playing time early on. However, he was pressed into action once Kirk suffered a core injury that sent him to Injured Reserve.
Washington ended up hauling in 16 receptions for 132 yards with two touchdowns. He'll need to show out in training camp if he doesn't want to spend the 2024 season on the sidelines.
Grade: C
Christian Braswell, CB - Round 6, pick 202
Cornerback Christian Braswell earned reps at nickel in training camp. He made the 53-man roster but spent a good chunk of the 2023 season on Injured Reserve. He eventually returned but didn't record a single snap.
Braswell will probably compete with Gregory Junior for playing time at nickel behind Darnell Savage in training camp.
Grade: D
Erick Hallet II - Round 6, pick 208
Here's where things start not to look great for the Jaguars, who entered the 2023 draft with nine selections but ended up picking 13 players. General manager Trent Baalke said at the time that he would've liked to trade up but couldn't find a suitable partner, so he ended up using all the selections.
With their second sixth-round pick, Jacksonville picked another defensive back. This time, it was Pittsburgh's Erick Hallett II. Throughout training camp, Hallett made a positive impression but was ultimately a victim of the numbers game.
Due to the depth at safety, Hallet didn't crack the 53-man roster and spent his rookie season in the practice squad. With Jenkins leaving, perhaps he'll make the cut in 2024.
Grade: D
Cooper Hodges, OG - Round 7, pick 226
It didn't take Cooper Hodges long to stand out in training camp. Besides making a strong case for one of the backup roles on the interior offensive line, the former Appalachian State standout became known for the "Tugboat Tumble," his way to get fans hyped up at practice.
But right when it looked like Hodges was going to make noise as a rookie, he suffered a patella injury that cut his season short. If he's healthy in 2024, he should have no trouble picking up where he left off last year.
Grade: C
Raymond Vohasek, DT - Round 7, pick 227
Nose tackle Raymond Vohasek had a solid training camp and even made a couple plays in the preseason but that wasn't enough to make the 53-man roster. He was waived and went unclaimed on waivers.
Grade: F
Derek Parish, FB - Round 7, pick 240
It's rare for teams to draft fullbacks but the Jaguars already had made 12 picks by the time they were on the clock at No. 240, so they took a chance on Derek Parish. To nobody's surprise, he didn't make the roster even after switching to defensive lineman.
Parish spent a month in the practice squad but was released when the Jags added Amani Oruwariye. The silver lining is that he was scooped by the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL in January 2024.
Grade: F