The Jacksonville Jaguars shocked the world in 2017 and were one game away from making a Super Bowl appearance. Jacksonville lost to New England but there’s no question that this roster is loaded. This isn’t just super talented roster, it’s also a really young one where Jalen Ramsey, Leonard Fournette, Myles Jack, and Yannick Ngakoue are all on rookie contracts. The only downfall is the Jags are stuck with Blake Bortles but this team is still formidable.
Jacksonville holds the 29th pick in the draft which seems odd because they have been picking in the top 5 for the last century. Outside of quarterback, Jacksonville doesn’t have a lot of holes to fill on this roster. Let’s not forget, the one huge hole they did have was solved during free agency when they gave guard Andrew Norwell a hefty new contract. Having said that, who can we expect the Jaguars to target during the 2018 NFL Draft?
I would expect the Jags to do some heavy lifting on the offensive side of the ball in the first round to give Blake Bortles more help. Bortles has enough help as it is with Leonard Fournette, a dominant defense, and solid offensive line but the Jags have to keep improving. Could it be tight end Hayden Hurst of South Carolina? Mercedes Lewis was cut this offseason and the Jags could really use a tight end. Bortles needs a target in the middle of the field and Hurst could be that guy. Other pass-catching tight ends who could be on the board include Dallas Goedert South Dakota State and Mike Gesicki of Penn State. Those other tight ends could probably be had in the middle portion of the second round.
Jacksonville could also pull out the wildcard factor here. Lamar Jackson could be the developmental quarterback that the team covets. Jackson is a really athletic guy who’s ceiling is probably Tyrod Taylor. While I’m not high on Jackson, the Jags are a perfect landing spot considering he can sit and learn for a year or two behind Bortles. Don’t forget, Tyrod Taylor sat behind Joe Flacco for four years. I’m not sure he’s still playing in the NFL without sitting and learning in the early stages of his career. Jackson never completed 60 percent as a starter in either of his three years as a starter at Louisville. Nathaniel Hackett may be pounding the table for Jackson to be his lump of clay to mold.
After they lost Allen Robinson in free agency, one would think the Jags could target a receiver in that late second round range. Donte Moncrief comes in on a one-year deal but he obviously isn’t a long-term fix. Marqise Lee is coming back on a new deal but they had to release Allen Hurns to make room for him. D.J. Chark of LSU could be a nice target. Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham have proved that LSU has proved to be a receiver University of some sorts. Chark blew the doors off at the Senior Bowl and proved to be a real home run hitter. Chark’s 4.3 speed could be a really nice fit when teams stack the box on Leonard Fournette allowing Bortles to start to take some shots down the field.
