While the 2022 preseason has yet to begin, the football community has several people whose job is to study the draft well in advance. As a result, mock drafts are posted all year and many of them turn out interesting for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
That was the case in Pro Football Network’s latest two-round mock draft, which was done by James Fragoza. Despite the resources the Jags spent on their defense, including investing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft in Travon Walker, he had the Jags taking Walker’s teammate and defensive lineman Jalen Carter with the No. 5 overall pick.
5) Jacksonville Jaguars: Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
Much was made of Georgia’s national championship-winning defense last season — and for good reason. While the unit sent five players to the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, possibly their best prospect returned to school. Jalen Carter is a 6’3″ and 310-pound DT with imposing arm length, immense twitch and burst, and a vat of stored power. Drop him into any scheme, and he will thrive. Fifth overall may ultimately be his floor, as genuine pass-rush threats from the interior are increasingly rare.
Some fans may be puzzled by this, but the ones that popped on the tape of Walker noticed Carter as well. Additionally, this pick isn’t all that surprising because the Jags don’t have a defensive tackle who is known as a penetrator of the pocket, though someone could step up and be that in the regular season.
As for the second round, Fragoza slotted the Jags the position many fans feel is their top need: a receiver. The player they ended up with was Alabama’s Jermaine Burton.
Burton transferred from Georgia this season and will be joining a potential top-4 pick in quarterback Bryce Young, which may help him improve after a season where he registered just under 500 yards with the Bulldogs. At 6-foot-0, he’d bring the Jags a target who wins with suddenness and has good hands. He also can catch the ball in traffic, which is important when considering how different the windows are in the NFL.
In addition to the uncertainty of what the Jags have at receiver now, they also will have two of their top receivers heading into free agency next season between Marvin Jones Jr. and Laquon Treadwell. Losing Jones, in particular, could leave a big void, so fans can bet their money that the Jags’ staff will be eyeing receivers when the college football season starts.
