Jaguars Blog

1010XL Draft Guide: Weekly roundtable #5

todayMarch 22, 2024

Background

Welcome to the fifth and final edition of our 2024 NFL Draft weekly roundtable! All the football heads at 1010XL/92.5 FM have gathered to preview the upcoming draft in April.

Our full draft guide will be released as a PDF on Monday, so be on the lookout!

Today’s question: Did free agency change your thoughts on how Jacksonville should approach the draft?

Dave Campo: I feel they did enough in free agency that it allows them to draft their highest-rated player no matter what position, as long as there isn’t another player at corner or offensive tackle with the same grade!

Hays Carlyon: No, signing Ronald Darby isn’t enough at corner. They still need one at 17. Can address receiver in second round and take best lineman on either side of the ball in the third.

Mike Dempsey: The Jaguars were able to fill a few needs in free agency but nothing they did should change their approach to the draft all that much.  Center is probably off the board early after the signing of Mitch Morse.

Ryan “Hacker” Green: It appears very obvious the Jaguars are going to be looking for speed at wide receiver, and cornerback very early in the draft. Don’t think they’re adding a big man along the line of scrimmage anymore at least in round one or two, think you’re looking at the perimeter – both DB and WR – early on.

Matt Hayes: I’ve said from Day 1 this team needs to protect its franchise quarterback, and the Mitch Morse move isn’t cutting it longterm. The Jaguars needs strong, mean guards to raise the level of physicality on the offensive line.   

Gus Logue: No, I think cornerback is still the move at 17th overall. Trent Baalke prefers drafting immediate starters in the first round, and the roster’s biggest hole as of today is slot cornerback. Receiver must be addressed after losing Calvin Ridley but the Jags can find better value at that position on Day 2.

Mia O’Brien: I fully expected the Jaguars to sign more stop-gaps along the defensive front who previously worked with DC Ryan Nielsen in free agency. Obviously, outside of Arik Armstead, that group was largely ignored. Thus, as much as wide receiver and corner remain needs, I expect the Jaguars to be equally aggressive at iDL and Edge with their first three picks in the NFL Draft — much to the chagrin of Jaguars fans.

Tony Smith: I think the Jaguars’ free agency moves make it easier to circle cornerback as the top need to address at 17 followed closely by wide receiver. There is close to no chance that they would address center in the first round, but offensive tackle, given the right prospect, probably should still be in play. Especially if the offensive lineman they could draft has the flexibility to play guard or tackle. Defensive line or edge are valuable enough positions in the NFL that it wouldn’t surprise me at all if that’s what the team did at 17, but I would still have corner and wide receiver as the two positions I would most expect them to draft in the first round – with corner ahead of wide receiver due mostly to the depth at the wide receiver position in this draft.

Follow along as we rank each position group leading up to the draft!

Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Offensive Tackles

Interior Offensive Linemen

Tight Ends

Cornerbacks

Safeties

Edge Defenders

Defensive Tackles

Inside Linebackers

Written by: Gus Logue


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