The 2022 NFL draft finally came to an end on Saturday night, ending the need to write about mock drafts. However, it’s now time to reflect on how every team fared.
The Jaguars drafted Georgia outside linebacker Travon Walker and Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd in the first round. Then on Day 2, they drafted Kentucky center Luke Fortner and Wyoming linebacker Chad Muma. Lastly, they ended the final day by acquiring Ole Miss running back Snoop Conner, Ouachita Baptist cornerback Gregory Junior, and Arkansas cornerback Montaric Brown.
Chad Reuter, NFL Network’s draft analyst, gave the 2022 Jacksonville Jaguars’ draft class a solid B+ on Sunday. Here is how he arrived at that grade:
Analysis: The selection of Walker with the No. 1 overall pick will ultimately be judged based on whether he has a better career than the other top edge rushers in this year’s draft. Lloyd and Muma are good linebackers, though the team used draft capital to trade up for the former and then doubled down on the position with the latter on Day 2. Picking Fortner, a replacement for retired center Brandon Linder, was a solid move.
The Jaguars could have found an RB value similar to Conner after the draft. Junior was one of my top non-combine invitees in the draft because of his fluidity and size. Brown competed on the outside against top SEC competition. Jacksonville sent a fifth- and a seventh-rounder to Tampa Bay and gained a fourth-round selection next year — a good swap that could turn into a future contributor or material for a trade.
Jacksonville did come away with a nice draft haul this year, and Reuter gave the franchise a very fair grade.
Just as Reuter said, time will tell if Walker has a better career than Michigan’s defensive end Aidan Hutchinson or Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux. Specifically, Hutchinson because he was considered a much better prospect than Walker.
General manager Trent Baalke also didn’t make a lot of sense when he drafted Muma after taking Lloyd in the first round. Muma was a pick with lots of value, though, but it also means the Jaguars added three new linebackers this offseason. Technically, it’s four since the franchise has labeled Walker as an outside linebacker on their site.
Jacksonville’s decision to snag Fortner in the third round was an excellent one. Fans should be excited about how many draft scouts raved about his character and his IQ.
However, it’s head-scratching how Baalke and head coach Doug Pederson didn’t bother to draft a tight end or a wide receiver to help second-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The decision to not add any help may come back to haunt them this season.