New Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke have a busy week ahead of them as both are currently attending the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine right now. And while the team has several needs, most Jags fans will be intrigued with the pass-catchers at the event as the Jags have huge needs at receiver and tight end.
After a 2021 season where the passing game struggled and finished the season ranked 24th, the Jags now know they need explosion and size within the receiving corps. That’s why most expect them to take a receiver and a tight end within the top-4 rounds as we’ve seen in several mock drafts.
In the early stages of the combine, the Jags have already met with two of the most dynamic receiving threats in the whole event. Those prospects are Georgia receiver George Pickens and Coastal Carolina tight end Isaiah Likely.
Coastal Carolina TE Isaiah Likely says he’s met with Titans and Jaguars
Believes he has the best hands in the class — said NFL has told him they view him as an F-TE (move-TE)#NFLCombine
— Thor Nystrom (@thorku) March 2, 2022
Of the two prospects, Pickens is expected to come off the board first as he currently has a second-round grade on him. As a result, he’s been a popular name in the Jags’ community way before today as the Jags need to provide Trevor Lawrence with some weapons this offseason.
Pickens will be coming off a national championship victory with the Bulldogs, though he missed a majority of their season trying to return from an ACL injury. He eventually was able to do so in their 12th contest, which allowed him to see some regular season and postseason action.
Pickens, who was a huge vertical threat for the Bulldogs, will enter the draft after ending his collegiate career with 1,347 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns. Of course, the former figure isn’t exactly eye-popping, but it’s worth noting that Pickens was on an ultra-talented Bulldogs team for all of his three seasons with them.
As for Likely, he’s a 6-foot-4, 240-pound athlete who could take off under a tight end friendly scheme like Pederson’s. He enters the draft after spending four years with the Chanticleers while putting up an impressive stat-line of 133 catches for 2,050 receiving yards and a whopping 27 touchdowns.
Likely projects to be a third-round pick in the eyes of most draft analysts. If the Jags want him, that’s a spot that helps their chances to acquire him as they have two third-round picks thanks to the C.J. Henderson trade that took place last season.
The Jags’ interest in both prospects isn’t shocking when considering their explosive play abilities, which would help the Jags stretch the field. Likely had a 15.4 yard per reception average, while Pickens’ average was 15. That said, don’t expect this to be the last time the Jags show interest in both as they should draw a significant amount of interest at their Pro Days and should get various workouts.