The 2022 NFL Draft is less than a week away, and the Jacksonville Jaguars will start the process with the top pick of the whole event. Despite that, though, the organization has yet to decide who they will take first overall as the decision isn’t as easy as it was last year when they selected Trevor Lawrence.
General manager Trent Baalke and coach Doug Pederson met with the media on Friday, and Baalke said the decision is “still a work in progress.” Baalke also added that the team was ahead of schedule in terms of their preparation process and that a few more meetings were set to take place about who the right choice would be.
“We still have several meetings to go through, a lot of discussion between the coaching staff, the personnel staff,” he said. “We’re continuing to dig up [information] and do research on these guys. The pick doesn’t have to be made today, so there’s no sense in forcing it right now. We’ve got plenty of time. We’re ahead of last year’s schedule in terms of preparation. We’ve worked hard to get there. The decision doesn’t have to be made right now, so why make it?”
It seems the Jags may have varying opinions from within the organization of who to take. With Pederson being an offensive mind, it wouldn’t be shocking if he and his offensive assistants wanted an offensive tackle, while others on the defensive side could want a defensive lineman. However, that doesn’t mean healthy discussions aren’t being had, but certainly interesting ones.
Offensively, most believe the Jags are eying offensive tackles Ikem Ekwonu and Evan Neal. Then on defense, the choices could be down to Michigan edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson and Georgia lineman Travon Walker. Baalke somewhat confirmed this by saying four picks are being considered for the selection, though he didn’t say who.
The Jags will have the weekend to step away from the draft board and decompress a little if they choose to do so. However, on Monday it appears they may start to make progress on a decision, and when considering how the Jags have missed on early draft picks, it needs to be a thorough discussion.
