Mia O’Brien’s Mock Draft Mondays are powered each Monday in the month of April by Play It Again Sports.
Over the past three weeks, we’ve outlined three different, Draft Day scenarios for the Jaguars. In Mia’s Mock Draft 1.0, we examined the Jaguars’ 2024 Draft sans any trades. The Jaguars traded back in the first-round in Mia’s Mock Draft 2.0. Then, last week, we swung for the fences with a trade into the top-ten for a WR1.
In this final installment, let’s continue to simulate “Trader Trent Baalke” – but with a twist.
Round 1, Pick 14
(TRADE, Saints: No. 17, No. 96, and No. 153 for No. 14)
Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
In this scenario, the Las Vegas Raiders surprise some by not taking a quarterback at No. 13 and do not take Mitchell (who many believe to be DB1 on their Draft board), opting for Alabama’s Terrion Arnold instead. With their division foe, the Indianapolis Colts, cornerback-needy at No. 15 and the Philadelphia Eagles seeking to trade up for Mitchell, the Jaguars are forced – but ready – to move up three spots to ensure they can draft one of the top two defensive backs in this year’s class. The Jaguars would need a run on wide receivers and offensive linemen early to create this scenario where Arnold and Mitchell both fall past No. 12 – and it very well could happen, especially if four quarterbacks are selected in those first 12 picks.
A Florida native, Mitchell has passed every test the NFL has thrown at the “small-school product” in the NFL Draft process. In addition to showcasing elite speed (4.33) and measurables (6’0’’, 195 lbs), turn on the tape and there is no denying Mitchell’s tackling prowess – something the 2023 Jaguars struggled so mightily to do down the stretch. There were questions surrounding Mitchell’s ability to play press-man cornerback, but he silenced those critics at the Reese’s Senior Bowl. Did he have less snaps in a press-man scheme compared to his Alabama counterparts – and against MAC competition? Yes. But as the Jet’s Sauce Gardner has proven, conference pedigree cannot be the reason a player is not selected… even with Trent Baalke’s affinity for the SEC.
Additionally, while the Saints hold nine picks in this year’s NFL Draft, four of them are in the fifth-round and none of them are between No. 45 and No. 149. They would still be able to select either an offensive tackle or an Edge Rusher (either Florida State’s Jared Verse or UCLA’s Laiatu Latu) in this scenario.
Round 2, Pick 60
(TRADE, Bills: No. 48 for No. 60, No. 128, BUF 2025 4th)
Jalen McMilan, WR, Washington
For a second straight week, I have the Jaguars mining the Pacific Northwest and selecting a wide receiver from the reigning national runner-up’s.
There are some in the Draft and college football communities who believe, if he had stayed fully healthy, McMillan would be more of a Top 40 pick than a Top 70 pick. To Trent Baalke’s delight, after trading back to compensate for draft-capital lost in the Saints, first-round trade, a mid-season knee injury that hampered McMillan’s final season in Seattle results in him falling to late in the second-round.
Before the aforementioned knee injury, McMillan tallied 20 catches for 311 yards and three scores in Washington’s first three games of 2023. He returned to catch 20 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns between the Pac-12 Championship, College Football Playoff Semifinal, and National Championship. Of note for the “consistency is key” crowd: McMillan’s production was not a flash in the pan, as he caught 39 passes for 470 yards and three scores his redshirt freshman year and 79 catches for 1,098 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022. McMillan did so while working in the slot and on the perimeter, stretching the field for the Huskies’ heralded passing attack. He also has the ability to win up-top in the redzone.
McMillan hit all the marks he needed to at the NFL Combine, running a 4.47 40-yard dash, a 6.94 three-cone drill (6th best among WRs), and and a 4.18 short-shuttle drill. He was in for a Top-30 visit with the Jaguars, too.
Round 3, Pick 93
(TRADE, Ravens: No. 114, No. 116 for No. 93)
Jalyx Hunt, EDGE, Houston Christian
Another player who visited Jacksonville for a “Top-30” visit, Hunt is one of the more fascinating “projects” in the 2024 NFL Draft. A converted safety who began his career at Cornell University, Hunt spent his final two collegiate seasons at Houston Christian where he registered 20.5 TFL 13.5 sacks, and five forced fumbles. Compared to some of the other developmental pass rushers in this class – albeit against lesser competition – there’s no debating Hunt’s production. Hunt impressed at the Combine, running a 4.64 (8th among Edge Rushers), a 37.5’’ vertical jump (4th), and a 10’8’’ broad jump (1st).
Hunt officially checked-in at 6’4’’, 252 lbs, but still has room to grow in his frame. And of course: his 34 ⅜’’ arms were second among all linebackers at the Combine. The speed and pursuit both to the quarterback and in tracking down ball carriers in open space are undeniable. Will he ever be able to put on the weight to become a solid run-defender? Or will he become the small school version of Yannick Ngakoue? Even if that’s the case – and he’s the third-in-line behind established pro’s in Josh Allen and Travon Walker – the Jaguars would still stand to benefit from a third, bona fide sack-getter.
Round 4, Pick 128
Brandon Coleman, OT, TCU
Many scouts believe Coleman to be a late-Day 2 prospect – so if he’s here late in the fourth, expect the Jaguars to run to the podium. There is interest in the fifth-year senior and former JUCO product locally.
A team captain with position flexibility (22 starts at left tackle; 11 at left guard; 1 at right guard), Coleman is exactly what the Jaguars are targeting when it comes to “depth this year, starting capability in the future” along the offensive line. Armed with a 6’4 ½’’, 313 lb frame to go along with 34 ⅝’’ arms and 10 ¾’’ hands, Coleman, who didn’t start playing football until his junior year of high school overseas in Germany, still has plenty of room to grow both physically and figuratively. More known as a pass blocker than a run grader at the tackle position (blocking for the Air Raid probably speaks to that), Coleman’s natural athleticism allows him to get to the second level with ease – exactly what the Jaguars’ zone-blocking scheme requires.
Details like hand placement and footwork require refinement, but his Draft position and the Jaguars’ current offensive line room-makeup would afford him time to learn. Much like Cooper Hodges a year ago, Coleman would be afforded the opportunity to learn his “new-ish” position while providing quality depth behind Ezra Cleveland and Hodges.
Round 6, Pick 212
Joshua Karty, K, Stanford
(Yes, I am picking another kicker for the third time in four weeks. No, this is not a bit)
Compared to Alabama’s WIll Reichard and Arkansas’ Cam Little, Stanford’s Joshua Karty may be the most consistent of the bunch. He made 91.1 percent of his field goals the last two seasons, including a 100 percent mark in 2022 in which Karty went 10-of-10 between 40 and 49 yards and 3-of-3 from beyond 50. His career long is 61 yards. As Rivals’ Cardinal Sports Report detailed following Karty’s departure for the NFL: “any kick inside the 50 yard line felt like an automatic gimme for him.” Another local Palo Alto outlet, FanNation’s All Cardinal, takes it a step further: “While Stanford’s offense hasn’t been as prolific as it once was, their best offensive strategy was simply getting past the 50-yard line to set up kicker Josh Karty.”
While the new kickoff rules won’t require Karty’s booming leg like they may have a year ago, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com still has a Round 4-5 grade on Karty. If he’s there in the sixth, coupled with Jacksonville’s long-standing kicker woes, he’s a no-brainer.
Round 7, Pick 236
Fabien Lovett Sr, DT, FSU
In their pursuit to get more “physical” in the trenches, the Jaguars take a flyer on a 314 lb defensive tackle from down the road. While he will never stuff the stat sheet, Fabien Lovett’s frame and run-plugging prowess can’t be taught. Even with below-average athleticism, his 35 ½’’ arms and 10 ⅜’’ hands combine with a powerful base to create a pure people-mover. He has proven he can infiltrate a backfield on designed twists and stunts, too. Consistency in his technique is the next step for Lovett on multiple fronts. Still, he could offer depth at the nose tackle and 2-tech Day 1.
With Angelo Blackson signing with the Denver Broncos last week, the Jaguars are in need of more pieces to rotate with DaVon Hamilton inside. While Lovett does not offer the pass rush ability of Hamilton right now, his heavy hands suggest he could, with time, grow in that aspect of his game. Florida State coaches rave about his high character and high football IQ, as exhibited by him receiving the Bobby Bowden Leadership Award (2022) and raising nearly $20K for medical expenses for his son, Fabien Jr., who was born three months premature in 2021.
