The Jacksonville Jaguars have a big-time decision coming up this Thursday as they hold the top pick in the NFL Draft. With it being the second consecutive time they’ve done so, it’s a pick they must hit on if they are to climb from the bottom of the NFL.
After a disastrous season under Urban Meyer in 2022, owner Shad Khan has reportedly been at the Jags facility a lot more this offseason. He told Sports Illustrated that he will be returning to it on Wednesday to firm up the draft board and make sure everyone is on the same page heading into Thursday.
In the process, Khan will share his opinion on what direction the team should go in, and then after taking in what coach Doug Pederson, and general manager Trent Baalke have to say, they will decide on pick No. 1.
“Yeah, I have an opinion,” Khan told Sports Illustrated. “I do have an opinion. We are supposed to get together on Wednesday, and so I don’t have as firm a decision as I did maybe last year, but I do have it. I think we’ll have to really firm up the draft board, so we have clarity on all the permutations and combinations we’re gonna hit.”
When it comes to pick No. 1, it’s believed by some that Khan would prefer Michigan edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson. That would make a lot of sense because of how Hutchinson could help the Jags build the right culture. They already have that guy at quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, but more leaders are needed to make the Jags a respectable organization.
On the other hand, Pederson reportedly wants N.C. State offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu and Baalke want Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker. If that’s the case, it will be interesting to see what decision is made, but it’s ultimately Khan’s team, so he’s the biggest factor in the decision.
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