After a 2021 season where it feels like little progress was made from 2020, the Jacksonville Jaguars need to knock the offseason out of the park. That includes the draft where many mock drafts have them adding weapons around quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Many fans are hoping the team emphasizes improving the offensive line more than anything. However, a close second on the list of needs that fans want to see addressed is receiver — and some would even say it’s No. 1.
The Jags can address their issues at receiver in free agency, but there are plenty of options in the draft in the eyes of many pundits. That includes NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah.
Clearly, with the No. 1 overall pick the Jags could be addressing the aforementioned need on the offensive line with someone like Alabama’s Evan Neal or a pass-rusher that has one of the drafts top grades in Aidan Hutchinson and Kayvon Thibodeaux. However, in the likely case that they don’t end up with a receiver in Round 1, Jeremiah said he believes it’s a chance the Jags can get a WR1 or WR2 with their next pick (No. 33).
“Well, we see receivers that are first-round guys fall out of the first round every year, and part of it’s just because we have the sheer numbers,” he said in a conference call Friday. “But if you look at the wide outs that have been taken in the second round over the last handful of years, you’re going to see a ton of studs from — just look at Ole Miss, from D.K. Metcalf, AJ brown, Elijah Moore, those three wide receivers from one school, Terry McLaurin, on and on and on and on. We can go through Deebo Samuel. Every year we se guys with big grades that end up falling into the second round just because of the sheer number of wide outs that we have.”
It would be huge if the Jags were able to land a talent of the magnitude of Metcalf, Brown, Samuel, or the others named above to help Lawrence on the outside. Of course, their decisions in free agency will be an indicator of how high they will be willing to take a receiver, as they could retain DJ Chark Jr. or maybe target a No. 1 like Allen Robinson. However, the Jags probably won’t look to both keep Chark and get a big money free agent, which leaves the door open for a high draft selection at the position still.
When discussing what receivers could be available 33rd overall, Jeremiah said he was curious about Alabama’s Jameson Williamson, who could fall in the draft after tearing his ACL in the National Championship. He also wondered about a pair of late first round talents in Chris Olave and Jahan Dotson, as well as Georgia’s George Pickens, who he sees as a late Round 2 player.
“I’m curious, we talked about him a little bit, but Jameson Williamson, where does he go? Does he still go in the first round off that injury? If he doesn’t, you’re the Jags, shoot, you talk about hitting a home run, when he gets healthy, you’ve got a dynamic player for Trevor to work with here.
“That would be kind of a slam dunk no-brainer. We’ve talked about Olave and Dotson, does one of them fall out. I think Treylon Burks will be long gone. Kind of a wildcard, it might be a little early there with that first pick, but George Pickens from Georgia who’s had some injuries is really, really gifted. To me I think — I kind of thought he’d be more back end of 2, but we’ll see how he goes through the spring…”
We’ve seen Dotson and Olave fall to the Jags in a few Draft Wire mocks, and they would be welcomed additions. While both are under 190 pounds, they both have basketball player like skill-sets that would make life easier on Lawrence.
As for Williams, he’s a top-12 talent when healthy and has home run type of speed. It would be miraculous for the Jags if he fell out of Round 1, and Jags general manager Trent Baalke would have no problem taking him if it happened as he’s tried to capitalize on players falling due to injuries multiple times in the past.
Then lastly, on Pickens, he could be the guy for the Jags. He came back late in Georgia’s 2021 season due to recovering from an ACL tear, but when looking at his 2020 film, he has top-33 pick type traits.
Time will tell if any of these options are available, but it seems the Jags’ chances are high to get great receivers in free agency and the draft with their cap space and high draft selections. The bigger question will be whether or not Baalke make’s the proper evaluations and is willing to spend on a veteran that has a high chance to be successful.
