The Jacksonville Jaguars addressed several needs in free agency, signing Arik Armstead, Gabe Davis, Ronald Darby, and others to upgrade weak spots and fill holes left by departing players. They didn’t solve everything, though.
The departure of wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who joined the Tennessee Titans on a $92 million deal, left the Jaguars in need of more talent at the position. And while the addition of Darby gives Jacksonville a stop-gap solution at cornerback, it hardly looks like an area that is set heading into the 2024 season.
With the 2024 NFL draft just over a month away, a wave of mock drafts have reacted to the moves made by all 32 teams in free agency. Experts have largely projected that the Jaguars will use their first-round pick to take a wide receiver, cornerback, or defensive lineman. In particular, these nine players are picking up steam as potential future Jaguars:
Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
Mocks: Kyle Bumpers (Jaguars Wire), Tom Fornelli (CBS Sports), Matt Urben (Falcons Wire), Chris Roling (Bengals Wire), Doug Farrar (Touchdown Wire), Matt Rooney (Bleacher Nation), Nick Klopsis (Newsday), Josh Edwards (CBS Sports)
Despite adding Ronald Darby, the loss of Darious Williams makes cornerback a top need for the Jaguars, With Nate Wiggins still on the board, Jacksonville adds a strong coverage corner to its secondary.
Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
Mocks: Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com), Mel Kiper Jr. (ESPN), Kyle Stackpole (CBS Sports), Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News), Joel Klatt (FOX Sports), Anthony Rizzuti (Panthers Wire), Cory Kinnan (Browns Wire)
Arnold plays much faster than he timed at the NFL Scouting Combine (4.50 40-yard dash). He can line up inside and outside for Jacksonville.
Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State
Mocks: Jeff Howe (The Athletic), Tori McElhaney (AtlantaFalcons.com), Curt Popejoy (Steelers Wire), Jess Root (Cards Wire), Nate Davis (USA Today)
Verse was the best pass rusher on the board at this spot, and he won’t be traveling far from Tallahassee to give the Jaguars some help in a key area. Verse had 18 sacks and 29 tackles for loss in 25 games at Florida State. Meanwhile, the Jaguars’ 40 sacks last season were the eighth fewest in the NFL – and that was only a slight improvement from 2022, when their 35 sacks were the seventh fewest. Josh Allen (17.5 sacks) and Travon Walker (10 sacks) were terrific last season, but they can’t do it all – not with C.J. Stroud in the division.
Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
Mocks: Charles McDonald/Nate Tice (Yahoo Sports), Trevor Sikkema (PFF), Cody Manning (Colts Wire), Marcus Mosher (33rd Team),
The Jaguars have a big hole at wide receiver after losing Calvin Ridley in free agency. They can attempt to fill that hole with Mitchell, who has the upside to develop into a true No. 1 wide receiver in the NFL.
Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
Mocks: Nick Suss (Nashville Tennesseean), Ryan Fowler (The Draft Network), Jeff Risdon (Lions Wire), Andrew Buller-Russ (Sportsnaut)
The Jags think about taking a receiver here but ultimately opt for a cornerback in McKinstry, the talented athlete who was so good in college that opponents preferred to throw in Arnold’s direction instead of his.
Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
Mocks: Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz (USA Today), Will Brinson (CBS Sports), Luke Easterling (SI), Bucs Wire
Losing Calvin Ridley is a huge blow for Trevor Lawrence and the passing game, even with the addition of Gabe Davis. Adding another high-upside pass-catcher with big-play ability should be a top priority for the Jags, and Thomas brings a rare blend of size and speed that would create matchup problems for opposing defenses.
Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
Mocks: Connor Rogers (NBC Sports), Geoff Hobson (Bengals.com), John Sigler (Saints Wire),
Jacksonville adding Gabe Davis to its vertical passing attack allows the Jags to address corner here and look for receiving depth on Day 2. The duo of Mitchell and Tyson Campbell is a strong response to dealing with the quarterback firepower in the AFC.
Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas
Mocks: Ryan Wilson (CBS Sports), Benjamin Solak (The Ringer)
Did I give the Jaguars Byron Murphy II before they signed Arik Armstead, a quality pass rusher on the interior? Yes. Am I keeping this pick anyway? Sure! The Jaguars have huge needs along the defensive interior, as DaVon Hamilton had off-field health issues and Foley Fatukasi was released. Murphy is my favorite defensive tackle in the class, and he's actually a good fit beside Armstead, with his short, stocky build complementing Armstead's height and length. Between Murphy, Armstead, Josh Allen, and Travon Walker, there might finally be a pass rush in Jacksonville.
Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA
Mocks: Vincent Parise (Bears Wire), Scott Smith (Buccaneers.com)
Picking up Armstead after he couldn’t get a deal done in San Francisco makes the interior line a little less of a pressing issue. The Jaguars let former first-round pick Chaisson walk after he didn’t really pan out and could use another premium pass-rusher to line up opposite Josh Allen. They do have Travon Walker, who had 10 sacks in his second season, but they have moved Walker around to several different spots on the line. There would be plenty of work to go around for Allen, Walker and Latu.
