The Jacksonville Jaguars are currently set to pick outside the top 10 in the NFL Draft for only the second time in the last 16 years.
Included in that lengthy stretch of top 10 selections were Derrick Harvey, the eighth overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, and Blaine Gabbert, the 10th overall pick in 2011. While the Jaguars were scheduled to pick lower those two years, they made big trades to move up the draft order.
Don’t expect the team to make a similar move this April.
With Jacksonville set to pick 24th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, general manager Trent Baalke is only eying a short jump, if any, in the first round.
“I don’t know that we’re going to be big movers and try to trade way up in the draft,” Baalke said Tuesday at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. “Will we move a little bit? We could, but it really depends on how the board gets stacked.”
For now, it’s tough to gauge what the Jaguars plan to address with their first round selection. Many mock drafts expect the team to take a tight end early, but that could change when the Jaguars retain Evan Engram, which is a move that appears inevitable.
Cornerbacks, pass rushers, and more help along the offensive and defensive lines would all make sense for the team, as well.
There’s still plenty of time for Baalke and the Jaguars coaches and scouts to fall in love with a player. But it looks like Jacksonville won’t be flying up the board with a blockbuster deal to make it 15 of the last 16 years with a top 10 pick.
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