Ranking the top 3 prospects the Jacksonville Jaguars can draft at No. 24

Prospect 1 the Jacksonville Jaguars can draft at No. 24: Brian Branch

Cornerback is one of the needs the Jaguars must address in the draft. The good news is that this year's class will be deep so they can easily wait until Rounds 2 or 3 to add a cornerback and upgrade another position group with the 24th overall pick.

Throughout the offseason, the Jags have been seen as potential landing spots for pretty much every cornerback prospect, even Christian Gonzalez, who is expected to go in the top 10. Another prospect that has been mocked to Jacksonville is Brian Branch, a hybrid defender that can play multiple positions in the backfield.

When you take into account that Jacksonville already has a talented cornerback tandem in Tyson Campbell and Darious Williams and they need someone that can line up in the slot the nickel, Branch becomes an intriguing option in Round 1.

A four-star recruit out of high school, Branch was listed as a safety at Alabama but often lined up in the slot. Although he lacks top speed and must work on his footwork to improve in man coverage, he's got great recognition skills and excels in zone coverage.

Branch would line up in the slot for the Jaguars but defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell could also look for different ways to deploy him and maximize his skill set.

Working in the Jaguars' favor is that cornerback is far from a glaring weakness, so even though they need to fortify the position, they don't have to address it in the first round. But if Branch is available at No. 24, they might have a hard time passing on him.