The Jacksonville Jaguars impressed Thursday night when they maneuvered their way into three extra draft picks via two trades before landing a starting right tackle in Oklahoma’s Anton Harrison at No. 27 overall. The team’s Friday decisions to pick tight end Brenton Strange and running back Tank Bigsby weren’t quite as popular.
But now that the 2023 NFL draft is in the books and the Jaguars have 13 new draftees on their rosters, what did experts think of the team’s weekend?
Here’s a roundup of reviews of the Jaguars’ 2023 draft class:
ESPN (Mel Kiper Jr.) - B
Analysis: “Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke made two trades down in Round 1, acquiring extra fourth-, fifth- and seventh-round picks in the process. That’s a coup for dropping down just three spots and still getting an offensive tackle who could start as a rookie. … There’s not much flash about this class, but the substance is important, as Harrison and Strange fill holes and have high-level potential.”
Touchdown Wire (Doug Farrar) - B
Analysis: “Jaguars GM Trent Baalke was pretty busy with all these picks, and the hits could be serious. Anton Harrison is a plug-and-play left tackle who can slide right in and succeed. Brenton Strange should combine with Evan Engram to give Doug Pederson some really interesting two-TE packages, and Tank Bigsby lives up to his nickname on the field with his violent running style.”
NFL.com (Chad Reuter) - B+
Analysis: “The pending suspension of Cam Robinson for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy made the Jags’ need at tackle even more obvious, so the Harrison selection made tons of sense. Strange’s pick was likely forced by the run on tight ends in the second round. Jacksonville could have probably waited until Day 3 to find Bigsby or a similarly talented back.”
Pro Football Focus - B
Analysis: “The 24th ranked player on the PFF big board, the Jaguars get Harrison at about the right spot but pick up three additional picks by moving down. He allowed just nine total pressures from 447 pass-blocking snaps in 2022.”
Sporting News (Vinnie Iyer) - C
Analysis: “The Jaguars had to lock into offensive tackle early after losing Jawaan Taylor in free agency and learning of Cam Robinson’s looming suspension. It was then weird to pivot to more tight end and backfield help so early and then reaching defensively with Miller, Lacy and Abudllah. Harrison can start right away, however, and Johnson filled their lone true pressing needing as a first-round caliber safety. They also weren’t lower because of some good versatility later.”
USA Today (Nate Davis) - D+
Analysis: “OT Anton Harrison became a priority in light of the PED suspension incumbent LT Cam Robinson is facing and the departure of RT Jawaan Taylor in free agency. Aside from that, it felt like the Jags bolstered their depth if not finding much impact. Fifth-round DB Antonio Johnson could be the rookie who contributes most aside from Harrison. Still, for a team that narrowly won the AFC South in 2022, it feels like the rest of the division might have closed whatever narrow gap existed.”
The Ringer (Danny Kelly) - C-
Analysis: “I wasn’t a huge fan of what the Jaguars did over the first two days of the draft. Jacksonville landed a potential future starting left tackle in Oklahoma’s Anton Harrison on day one, but that pick was a bit of a reach per my board (he ranked 50th). I don’t see a ton of upside with the team’s second- and third-round picks either, with Penn State tight end Brenton Strange projecting as an H-back and Auburn running back Tank Bigsby a backup/rotational running back. I did like what the team did on day three, though: Louisville’s Yasir Abdullah adds some juice to the team’s edge rusher/linebacker group; Texas A&M safety Antonio Johnson brings versatility to the defensive backs spot; and Penn State receiver Parker Washington offers yards-after-the-catch talent at receiver.”
Washington Post (Mark Maske) - C+
Analysis: “The Jaguars traded back twice in the opening round before taking T Anton Harrison. Addressing the offensive line was justified, with Cam Robinson reportedly facing a suspension by the NFL. But it’s debatable whether Harrison came off the board too soon. There were similar questions about the value of using a second-round choice on TE Brenton Strange.”
Associated Press (Rob Maaddi) - B+
Analysis: “Improved offense with first three picks: OT Anton Harrison (27), TE Brenton Strange and RB Tank Bigsby. WR Parker Washington could be a steal in the sixth round.”
Fox Sports - B-
Analysis: “It’s surprising that it took the Jaguars until the fourth round to address the pass rush (Jacksonville had just 35 sacks last season, tied for 25th in the NFL). But accumulating 12 draft picks for an already good team is impressive — there’s plenty of potential for strong depth — and they’ve certainly fed into their strength: the Trevor Lawrence-led offense. With its first three picks, Jacksonville took an offensive tackle, tight end and running back who should all play key roles as rookies.”
