One major concern for every Jaguars pick in the 2024 NFL Draft
• Each one of them comes with a set of strengths
• But they all have weaknesses, here's a look at them
By Joel Lefevre
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As with every NFL Draft, there are pros and cons to every player who joins the professional ranks. We won’t truly know if the players the Jacksonville Jaguars selected in 2024 are built for the NFL until we see them take the field.
It’ll be up to head coach Doug Pederson and his coaching staff to maximize their strengths and improve those flaws or, at the very least, ensure they don’t prove to be costly. With this in mind, here's a closer look at every Jags draft choice in 2024 and the primary concern that comes with them.
Brian Thomas, WR - Round 1, pick 17
Biggest Concern: Lack of Physicality
Thomas is explosive and speedy, but that comes with drawbacks. The LSU product will be facing some big physical corners who won't be afraid to jam him at the line of scrimmage. Thomas is still a work in progress when it comes to being physical. If push comes to shove, Thomas needs to be willing to fight back and not let cornerbacks bully him. It may take him time to make the adjustment.
Maason Smith, DT - Round 2, pick 48
Biggest concern: Durability
A former five-star recruit, defensive tackle Maason Smith popped up on Bruce Feldman's College Football Freak List last year. But as athletically gifted as he is, the Louisiana native has a kryptonite.
My biggest question about Smith concerns his durability and how he’ll hold up in a league full of aggressive and physical players. As a defensive tackle, you need to be ready to run over some big boys, and to quote Rocky Balboa, you have to be willing to take the hits.
Smith missed time in college with a serious leg injury and also tore his ACL celebrating a play. He needs to build his body up in order to overcome those bumps and bruises and keep moving forward.
Jarrian Jones, CB - Round 3, pick 96
Biggest Concern: Tackling technique
Jones has excellent instincts and alignment in the cover game, but I question his tackling ability. He needs to improve that technique. It’s one thing to get beat; that’s bound to happen no matter how good you are in coverage, but you have to be able to limit the damage, and Jones needs work in that department.
Javon Foster, OT - Round 4, pick 114
Biggest Concern: Footwork
Offensive tackle Javon Foster seems more than capable of sustaining contact and pushing forward; however, his footwork concerns me. He’s not exactly nimble on his feet, and against flashy running backs, that’s a problem, as they can force him off balance and slip right past him. Perhaps the coaching staff can tie a string on him to cure his footwork as Mickey did to Rocky.
Jordan Jefferson, DT - Round 4, pick 116
Biggest concern: Less than ideal stance and pad level
Jefferson has great lateral agility but can be held in check when facing double teams. Of course, that can leave space for another player to get to the quarterback; however, he often gets caught off balance and struggles in two-on-one situations.
Deantre Prince, CB - Round 5, pick 153
Biggest Concern: Defending the run
Prince is incredibly coordinated and has great footwork, but he needs to do a better job of stopping opposing rushing attacks. He’s not always shown a willingness to tackle, and big fullbacks will be able to spot that, so he needs to change his tune in that regard.
Keilan Robinson, RS - Round 5, pick 167
Biggest Concern: Size to play in the NFL
The biggest thing I see working against Robinson could be his size. While he’s been good in tight spaces, some strong-arm tackles or big D-linemen may be able to bring him down a lot easier in the NFL than in college.
Bulking up a bit and not being afraid to bull rush down the middle will send a strong message to would-be tacklers, and that’s something he can improve on.
Cam Little, PK - Round 6, pick 212
Biggest Concern: Accuracy in long field goals
Being a kicker can be either the easiest job on the football field or the hardest, depending on your point of view. Little showed in college that he has a big leg and is fairly accurate, but what’s his range like on field goals?
His longest in college was 56 yards, which is pretty good, but nowadays, guys like Harrison Butker, Brandon Aubrey, and Justin Tucker are booting 60+ yard kicks with ease. Can Little do that?
Myles Cole, DE - Round 7 - pick 236
Biggest Concern: Get-off at the line of scrimmage
When it comes to Cole his lateral movement sticks out like a sore thumb. He needs to get a bigger spring in his step off the line of scrimmage to shake blocks and help the Jags' D-line do a better job at getting to opposing quarterbacks or at least putting them under duress.
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