As of late, there have been many draft analysts slotting a quarterback to the Jags in the first round due to the uncertainty of what Gardner Minshew II could be. However, according to Peter King of NBC Sports, the team isn’t interested in taking a quarterback in Round 1 and wants to give the Mississippi Mustache a chance.
In his Football Morning in America post published Monday morning, he did a rundown of what he’s gathered about what certain teams could do in Round 1 and also singled out Isaiah Simmons as a potential option for the Jags. He also briefly mentioned the uncertainty behind Yannick Ngakoue:
Not a quarterback, I hear. “They really want to give Gardner Minshew a real shot,” one FOC (Friend of Caldwell) says. Defensive impact player like Swiss-Army-knifish Isaiah Simmons makes sense. Biggest question for Jags on draft weekend revolves around the latest really good cornerstone player who wants out, Yannick Ngakoue. Can Caldwell find a fair deal for the defensive end?
It makes sense that the Jags would want to give Minshew a chance after he went 6-6 as a starter and outperformed veteran Nick Foles when both were healthy. Adding offensive coordinator Jay Gruden and pairing him with their young signal-caller could also help the offense grow as Gruden has dealt with young quarterbacks through his tenure.
The perfect thing about Minshew is his contract. If he falls flat on his face in 2020, the Jags can move on easily and should be in position to get a quarterback in 2021. However, if he flourishes, his contract is so affordable to the point where the Jags could tune up the roster even more around him next season.
With 12 draft picks in this year’s draft the Jags could end up getting a solid left tackle like Andrew Thomas or Tristan Wirfs to improve the offensive line if they elect to pass on a defensive player like Simmons. Afterward, they could proceed to add pass-catchers as the draft offers a deep receivers class with names like Justin Jefferson, Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs, and more.