With the 2023 NFL Draft inching closer, the Jacksonville Jaguars held a media availability session and head coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke shared several interesting nuggets about the process.
Among the things the duo told the local media was that the Jaguars feel comfortable with their current tight end group, so there's a strong chance they won't address the position early in the draft.
Baalke also said that the Jaguars have zeroed in on a few players at No. 24. Not long after his comments, John Shipley of Sports Illustrated took a guess on who the prospects may be: Edge Nolan Smith, Defensive end Brian Branch, and O'Cyrus Torrence. Cameron Wolfe of NFL Media later brought up the same three same, along with Clemson defensive end Myles Murphy, on NFL Now.
Jaguars are finally not picking No.1 overall after a remarkable turnaround year. I did a little detective work to figure out some players that could fall into GM Trent Baalke’s group of 2-3 players of players who converge need & value for #Jaguars at 24.
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) April 20, 2023
For @nflnetwork NFL Now: pic.twitter.com/G76VBtIyN8
All Branch, Murphy, Torrence and Branch are talented prospects that could bolster their respective position for the Jaguars, so which one would be the best fit at No. 24? Here's a ranking of the three.
Prospect 3 the Jacksonville Jaguars can draft at No. 24: O'Cyrus Torrence
At first sight, drafting offensive guard O'Cyrus Torrence may seem odd when you consider that the Jags signed Brandon Scherff last year to play right guard, the position Torrence played at Florida. However, Torrence could switch sides and challenge incumbent Ben Bartch for the starting job on the left.
This makes more sense when you take into account that Bartch dislocated his knee last season and may not be available for the start of training camp. On top of that, the former St. John Johnny is entering a contract year and if he's not in the team's long-term plans, drafting Torrance to take his place seems like the best course of action.
Torrence said earlier this year that he likes the Jaguars offensive line coach Phil Rauscher and the scheme they're running, so there's a good chance he's already pictured Jacksonville as a potential landing spot on Draft Day.
Although the former Florida Gator needs to refine his footwork and clean up his overall technique he has the potential to become a mainstay of the Jaguars' offensive line.
Prospect 2 the Jacksonville Jaguars can draft at No. 24: Nolan Smith
Clemson defensive end Myles Murphy has been linked to the Jags throughout the draft process but he's not the only pass rusher general manager Trent Baalke might have set his sight on in the first round. Georgia's Nolan Smith met with the team's brass in early March and nobody would raise an eyebrow if he ends up being the pick at No. 24.
A five-star recruit out of high school, Smith excels against the run and has the burst and speed to get after the quarterback. Although he will probably need to bulk up and work on his hand usage to be a productive edge defender in the NFL, he could give the Jaguars' pass-rush rotation a boost.
Whereas Murphy is better suited to play with his hand on the ground, Nolan could play outside linebacker for the Jaguars and round out a group that includes Josh Allen and Travon Walker.
Smith suffered a pec tear last November that forced him to miss the rest of the 2022 season. His recovery timeline must've been brought up when he met with the Jaguars' brass but it doesn't seem like the injury is going to affect his draft stock.
Like Murphy, Smith has a first-round grade, and if they're both available at No. 24, the choice could come down to who's the better fit on the Jaguars' defensive scheme.
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.