With two picks in the first round, and 12 in total, the Jacksonville Jaguars have the capital to leave as the ultimate winners of draft weekend. How does this come to pass? Simply put, a few players need to slide to the right spots.
The best case scenario for the Jaguars at No. 9 overall, would be if the teams ahead of them decide against selecting Isaiah Simmons.
All pre-draft buzz suggests that three quarterbacks will be taken before Jacksonville get to take the stage for pick No. 9, with Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert set to be top-10 picks. Couple this with a potential run on offensive tackles, and there’s a legitimate possibility that bonafide top-5 defensive talents may slide to the back end of the top-10.
Whilst players such as Derrick Brown, Jeff Okudah, and Isaiah Simmons are consensus blue-chip prospects going into this draft, the need for offensive tackles between picks No. 4 through No. 11 could cause the elite defenders to slide.
For instance, Giants general manager Dave Gettleman has selected a running back and quarterback in the top ten of the NFL draft in the previous two years in Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones. So the logical pick for the Giants is to draft a tackle at four to protect them both.
Alongside the Giants, the Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina Panthers, and Cardinals are all rumored to be looking at the offensive line. Meanwhile, teams such as the Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers could get jumpy and move up to try and provide some help for their franchise quarterbacks.
With so many different offensive prospects posturing to be selected in the top-10, Jacksonville could be left with a decision between some sensational defensive talent at No. 9. The Jaguars also have offensive line needs, but with Isaiah Simmons on the board it will be difficult to pass on a player who could provide an immediate upgrade at multiple positions on the defense. A self-diagnosed do-it-all star, Simmons has taken snaps at MIKE and off-ball linebacker, safety, nickel and used in blitz packages during his time at Clemson.
The Jaguars have invested in the linebacker spot heavily in the last 12 months, but the versatility of the Clemson Tiger would mean he would never has to leave the field. Ironically, it is the versatility that Simmons’ displays which could contribute to his draft-night slide. General managers league-wide will be wondering what to do with a player like Simmons, which could scare them away from taking him so early.
However, for a team so devoid of talent on both sides of the ball, adding a top-3 player in the draft at ninth overall would be awesome for the Jags. Caldwell couldn’t dream of a better scenario.