There are still four weeks left in the regular season that could dramatically shake up the draft order, but on Tuesday, ESPN’s Todd McShay took a stab at his first mock of the 2023 NFL Draft.
After a 36-22 win over the Tennessee Titans moved the Jacksonville Jaguars to 5-8 on the year, the team is now slated to pick 11th in April.
However, McShay’s mock has the team picking 13th in the order, as it’s based on ESPN’s Football Power Index. Despite the slide out of the top 10, McShay’s projected pick for the Jaguars is one that has become a popular pairing over the last month:
Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU
The Jaguars spent on Christian Kirk, Evan Engram and Zay Jones, and all three pass-catchers have played well this season. Plus, Calvin Ridley should be in the mix next season after Jacksonville acquired the suspended wideout at the deadline. But Trevor Lawrence still needs a big receiver. He excelled with Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross in college, and Johnston fits that same mold at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds. With 903 receiving yards through 12 games, Johnston has a wide catch radius, strength after the catch and good vertical speed. I love this fit.
Jacksonville has no shortage of needs to address in the offseason, but wide receiver no longer looks like the most pressing issue. The defensive line, cornerback, and tight end are all areas that look to be in need of upgrades before the wide receiving corps.
Still, there’s no doubt the addition of Johnston to an offense that has Ridley, Kirk, and Travis Etienne is fun to imagine.
With a handful of games left this season, the Jaguars’ draft scenarios will be heavily impacted by how the team finishes the year. A few more losses and Jacksonville could climb all the way to the top five. A few wins and the Jaguars could sneak ahead of the Titans and into the playoffs.
Until the rest of the year gets sorted out, the Johnston to Jacksonville scenario will likely continue to be a prevalent one in mock drafts.