Unlike most seasons, Jacksonville Jaguars fans probably aren’t thinking about the NFL Draft much. After a 2-2 start to the year, the Jaguars have realistic playoff aspirations and probably won’t be picking in the top 10 like they’ve done in 14 of the last 15 drafts.
But the reality is that the Jaguars are a young team still building after finishing with the worst record in the NFL in both 2020 and 2021. According to Luke Easterling of Draft Wire, that build would be helped by adding a wide receiver early in the 2023 NFL Draft.
In a two-round mock draft published Thursday, Easterling has the Jaguars taking TCU wide receiver Quentin Johnston with the 14th overall pick:
You can never have too many explosive weapons for your young franchise quarterback, so the Jags would be wise to grab one of the talented pass-catchers still on the board here. Trevor Lawrence has one big-play threat in Christian Kirk, but Johnston’s big frame and physical playing style would be the perfect complement.
The Jaguars invested big to acquire Kirk and also paid Zay Jones a decent chunk of change in free agency, but Marvin Jones is a 32-year-old receiver in a contract year. And while Jacksonville has been efficient on offense in 2022, it’s also near the bottom of the NFL in explosive plays. Adding a top-tier talent at receiver makes plenty of sense.
In the middle of the second round, Easterling has the Jaguars taking Florida defensive lineman Gervon Dexter.