Major Needs
Quarterbacks: Thanks to new owner Shahid Khan and head coach Gus Bradley, this franchise is clearly heading in the right direction. However, those two don’t put the pads on and make plays for their football team, which is why this team is in desperate need of a play-maker that demands attention, and sparks a buzz inside the locker room and community. The common choice for a quarterback with flair of course is Johnny Football, who certainly has question marks surrounding him, but arguably owns the most upside of any player in the 2014 draft class. Manziel would certainly add some juice to this franchise right from the get go selling tickets, jerseys, and giving the fan-base excitement.
Another strong possibility if Bradley wants to pull the trigger on a signal caller early on is Derek Carr. Carr, who is one of the hottest names in the draft as of late, was coached by the Jaguars coaching staff all week in Mobile, Alabama during the Senior Bowl. In turn Bradley and his coaching staff got more insight into Carr on-and-off the field during the week more than any combine or individual meeting could offer. Rumors after the week long event said Bradley was thoroughly impressed with Carr’s demeanor and leadership qualities, making the possibility of Carr becoming the third-overall selection a realistic possibility.
Wide Receiver: Whoever is playing quarterback for the Jaguars needs weapons around him if the Jaguars want a chance to succeed on that side of the ball. A superb talent but with bold red flags surrounding Justin Blackmon and little depth behind him the receiver position is a vital area of needed improvement. Even with Cecil Shorts admirable play and Ace Sanders showing potential in his rookie year, with Blackmon just one suspension away from early retirement, selecting a wide-out in a deep class is almost a foregone conclusion. The bigger question is how early of a pick they use on the position, especially with a blue-chip prospect like Sammy Watkins likely falling in their lap.
Linebacker: While many jump on the chance to connect-the-dots between Bradley’s LEO defense and linebacker Khalil Mack, with a potential franchise-quarterback available with their first pick, and as mentioned above, a wide receiver target in the Julio Jones and A.J. Green class, the front-office is likely not picking a linebacker ahead of those two positions of need. I also am not sold on Mack playing the LEO position in Bradley’s defense. but instead more of the strong-side position dropping his value as a third-overall pick even lower. Saying all that, Bradley still needs that joker player on defense that can get after the quarterback and make opposing offenses uncomfortable. Luckily for him there are numerous options at linebacker later in the draft that with Bradley’s tutelage can be molded into that type of player, without spending an early first-round pick.
Day-One Targets
Teddy Bridgewater: I’ve given you my take on the Jaguars and their Derek Carr connection, and why it shouldn’t surprise anyone if he is selected wit their first pick. However, just like he was months ago, Teddy Bridgewater should still be considered as the top quarterback in this class, and a strong possibility for this franchise as well. Thanks to the media and draft gurus like Mel Kiper and Todd McShay, Bridgewater’s stock has dropped rapidly for no apparent reason. This baffles me and if you don’t agree I question you to go back and watch his film. Bridgewater is a maestro in the pocket showing the awareness and accuracy that will be able to transition smoothly into the NFL, and will give the Jaguars their first-legitimate franchise quarterback since Mark Brunel.
Sammy Watkins: Watkins doesn’t have the 6’5” size that you hope for when using a top-3 pick on a wide out, but make no mistake in a deep and talented receiver class, Watkins is in a league of his own. Watkins has all the attributes necessary to be dominant in the NFL and will make any young quarterback much more comfortable under center. Teaming Watkins up with Blackmon and Shorts is an ideal scenario for an offense in transition and gives them a three-wide receiver set that is tough to match up against for any secondary.
Khalil Mack: As mentioned before I’m not sold on Mack to the Jaguars with the third-overall pick, but if they can trade back a few spots to a team like the Falcons, I think Mack would be an ideal landing spot after garnishing extra picks. No matter the position Bradley plugs Mack into, theres no doubt he has the talent to build their new defense around with his skills rushing the passer and dropping back in coverage.
Day-Two Targets
Kyle Van Noy: At some point in the draft the Jaguars will get Bradley a versatile-linebacker that thrives at wreaking havoc in the backfield and can apply pressure on the quarterback. Van Noy is exactly that as he has the strength and quickness to be disruptive, along with an arsenal of pass-rush moves. A “tweener” to some degree, but Van Noy projects best as a stand up linebacker that will allow Bradley to use his skills all over the field.
Pierre Desir: Although you could argue cornerback isn’t a dire need for the Jaguars, the case can certainly be made that they are in a position to upgrade the position as well. In a league where passing the ball has become the newest trend, lining up against three, four, and five wide receiver sets is something every team needs to be prepared for. Desir is a small-school product who dominated his competition at the lower level as a true shut-down cornerback who was rarely thrown to near the end of his college career, and for good reason. Desir can thrive in man or press coverage, and has elite ball-skills which is something that can’t be taught.
Weston Richburg: The Jaguars showed their cards and how desperate they are for a legitimate center, after they attempted to steal Alex Mack from the Browns signing him to an offer sheet. After the Browns matched the offer, we now know this team will be targeting the center position, and after a dominating week during the Senior Bowl against top-tier competition, Richburg has solidified himself as the top center in the class. Adding a center with a high football IQ like Richburg to last years second-overall pick Luke Joeckel turns this unit into a young talented group.
Mid-to-Late Round Targets
Michael Schofield: With Joeckel locked in a left tackle and the team likely taking care of the center position early in the draft, landing Schofield to play right tackle would be a perfect fit. With Taylor Lewan on the left side, Schofield played right tackle for Michigan the past two season and continued to get better as time went on. In a deep tackle class, Schofield should be tremendous value as a potential starter late on day-three.
Charles Sims: The Jaguars made a solid signing after locking up Toby Gerhart the former bruising running-back backup for Adrian Peterson. Gerhart will be the bell cow back for the team as Bradley leans on a heavy rushing attack to break down opposing defenses. However, the team still needs another running back on third-downs to keep Gerhart fresh. Sims looked great at the Senior Bowl and helped his stock, solidifying himself as one of the top-ten runners of this class. A well rounded player, Sims can run, block, and catch making him the ideal third-down running back option.
Arthur Lynch: This offense will be looking to add help everywhere and that certainly doesn’t exclude the tight-end position. Lynch is a tough-nosed football player that doesn’t excel in one area but does all the little things very well. A guy that can come in right away behind Marcedes Lewis in two-tight end sets as a blocker, until he learns the nuances of the NFL.
Final Seven-Round Mock
1. (3) Teddy Bridgewater, Quarterback, Louisville
2. (39) Lamarcus Joyner, Cornerback/Safety, Florida State
3. (70) Weston Richburg, Center, Colorado State
4. (105) Trent Murphy, Defensive End/Linebacker, Stanford
5. (114) DaQuan Jones, Defensive Tackle, Penn State
6. (144) C.J. Fiedorowicz, Tight End, Iowa
7. (150) Brandon Coleman, Wide Receiver, Rutgers
8. (159) Marion Grice, Running Back, Arizona State
9. (179) Michael Schofield, Offensive Tackle, Michigan
10. (205) Antone Exum, Safety, Virginia Tech
11. (222) Max Bullough, Inside Linebacker, Michigan State