The Jacksonville Jaguars will likely be jumping on the opportunity to lead the draft order later this month after acquiring just three wins last season. With the holes they have remaining on their roster, that’s huge, and with the right selections, some may even predict them to be a six to seven win team.
For the most part, they were able to do just that in Draft Wire’s latest three-round mock by Luke Easterling. Like most mock drafts, Easterling’s started with the Jags taking Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson to bolster the pass-rush and help Josh Allen and Co.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars | Michigan EDGE Aidan Hutchinson
The closer we get to the draft, the more this feels like the consensus. The Jaguars’ moves in free agency filled most of their biggest needs, freeing them up to spend this pick on the best overall player. While Hutchinson may not be No. 1 on every team’s board, it feels like the Jaguars are zeroing on him here.
Easterling is right about reading the tea leaves. They made a statement about the tackle position by franchise tagging Cam Robinson and have 2021 second-rounder Walker Little available to play right tackle. With that being the case, it feels like selecting a pass-rusher is what they have in mind.
In the second round, Easterling had the Jags bolstering their secondary by selecting Penn State safety Jaquan Brisker. In his scouting report of Brisker, Easterling highlighted his versatility and movement skills, which allowed Penn State to take advantage of specific matchups. That said, it seems Easterling believes Brisker is the type of safety that new defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell would love when considering what his last team, the Tampa Bay Bucs, had in Antoine Winfield Jr. and Jordan Whitehead.
However, the selection of Brisker feels unlikely when considering the contract Rashawn Jenkins signed last offseason. He will probably start, while Andre Cisco, a third-round safety the Jags acquired last year, should start at the other safety spot.
Then lastly, in the third round, the Jags added two pieces to their defense. Those players were Chattanooga guard Cole Strange and Coastal Carolina tight end Isaiah Likely.
When looking at how Strange could help, he could play either guard or center for the Jags after they saw long-time starting center Brandon Linder retire this offseason after he spent eight seasons with the team.
When Linder first announced his retirement, many reporters and fans expected backup center Tyler Shatley to fill that starting spot. The franchise signed him to a new two-year deal this offseason. However, the Jaguars have flexibility with Shatley as he can play guard or center. And while Strange’s time in college was mostly spent playing guard (and left tackle a little), he took snaps at the center position at the Senior Bowl and fared well.
When looking at Strange’s career, he was a five-year starter with the Mocs and was named to the NFL.com All-Combine team. Four outlets named Strange as a first-team All-American, with the lone exception being the Associated Press, who tabbed him to the third-team.
Likely would give the Jags an option to stretch the field at the tight end position. It’s no secret that Doug Pederson likes to utilize the tight end position a lot and there may not be a more explosive option at the position in the 2022 draft class as Likely often challenged defenses vertically.
The only issue with the Likely selection is that the Jags just signed Evan Engram to a one-year deal and have Dan Arnold, who was a top weapon for Trevor Lawrence, on the roster, too. But both players have expiring deals in 2023, so getting an option like Likely wouldn’t be a bad idea.