It appears increasingly likely that the Jacksonville Jaguars will lose offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor to free agency. The 25-year-old right tackle is expected to have a “massive market” and the Jaguars used the franchise tag to retain tight end Evan Engram instead.
While the Jaguars have offensive tackles Cam Robinson and Walker Little already in place to take over as the starting duo, neither has much experience on the right side of the offensive line. So ESPN’s Todd McShay thinks the team could rectify that in April by picking one of the top right tackles of the 2023 NFL Draft.
In his latest mock draft, McShay projects the Jaguars will take Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright at 24th overall:
If the Jaguars let Jawaan Taylor leave in free agency, Wright could be the replacement at right tackle opposite Cam Robinson. He plays with great balance and is outstanding as a run blocker. At 6-5 and 333 pounds, he ran a 5.01 in the 40-yard dash, showing his quicks. I liked what I saw at the Senior Bowl, too. Wright would help keep quarterback Trevor Lawrence upright and open up seams for running back Travis Etienne Jr. as the Jaguars continue to emerge as a player in the AFC. He allowed just one sack in 2022.
Wright was one of the most impressive prospects at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, putting up stellar numbers for a player of his massive size.
In McShay’s mock draft, offensive tackles come at a premium with three (Peter Skoronski, Paris Johnson, Broderick Jones) off the board in the top 13 picks.
Among the players still on the board at the Jaguars’ pick were tight ends Darnell Washington and Dalton Kincaid, defensive lineman Bryan Bresee, cornerbacks Cam Smith and Clark Phillips III, safeties Brian Branch and Antonio Johnson, guard O’Cyrus Torrence, and pass rushers B.J. Ojulari and Will McDonald IV.
