Jacksonville appeared to have a semi-winnable game on the slate this past Sunday, but it was not to be. The Jags struggled to contain San Francisco’s offensive speed, and its offensive unit couldn’t come up with much of anything at all in a 30-10 loss to the 49ers.
That loss dropped the Jags to 2-8 on the season, and whatever hope for a second-half turnaround existed after the team beat the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills has now mostly evaporated. It’s clear this team simply needs more talent to be consistently competitive, and we’re about at the point where it’s time to turn the attention to draft positioning.
Per Tankathon, the Jaguars are currently projected to pick third overall, which would certainly put them in a position to take one of the elite defensive prospects in this class like Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton or an offensive weapon like Ohio State receiver Chris Olave.
Only two teams are currently projected to pick higher than Jacksonville. The New York Jets, who sit at 2-8, as well, are one of them. The Jets have lost their last three games, and with a strength of schedule slightly weaker than the Jags, they would edge them out in a tiebreaker. Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions appear to be heading toward another first overall pick (and potentially a winless season). They sit at 0-9-1, and though they’ve come close, they haven’t managed to secure that first win.
Jacksonville was expected to struggle this year in the first season under coach Urban Meyer and quarterback Trevor Lawrence, but the way the season has panned out, it’s abundantly clear that this team needs another offseason to stockpile talent. If things continue at this pace, the Jaguars will have the chance to draft an elite talent in the first round in 2022.