The Jacksonville Jaguars need a strong NFL Draft to kick-off coach Doug Pederson’s tenure with the franchise. The key to accomplishing that is nailing Day 1.
For Jacksonville, it starts with making the right choice with the first overall pick. The Jaguars then need a few breaks to go their way. Here is Jaguars Wire’s best-case scenario for the franchise on the first day of the 2022 NFL Draft:
General manager Trent Baalke and Pederson have to select Michigan edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson or North Carolina State offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu with the first overall pick. Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker is the favorite to be chosen with the No. 1 pick, but there is too much risk involved mainly due to his lack of production.
The Jaguars have been stuck in mediocrity since 2017 because of their struggles in the draft. They have had seven first-round picks in the last five drafts and only four of them are still with the franchise. NFL Network’s Kyle Brandt summed up what Jacksonville needs to do beautifully. He said it needs to record a single or a double instead of swinging for the fences.
What's the biggest factor in determining who the Jaguars draft No. 1?@KyleBrandt makes his case for why Jacksonville should take Edge Aidan Hutchinson. pic.twitter.com/mwi36Ic1ZW
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) April 27, 2022
Hutchinson has a lower ceiling than Walker but his floor is much higher. He had a monster senior season where he racked up 62 tackles, 14 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Then Ikwonu is a mauler who tallied nearly 70 pancake blocks last season.
Lastly, Jaguars fans should hope there isn’t a run on wide receivers to end the first round or that a linebacker like Georgia’s Nakobe Dean or Quay Walker falls into the team’s lap. Jacksonville needs a deep threat outside to help second-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence. A couple of receivers the Jaguars would love to see slip into the second round are Arkansas’ Treylon Burks and Ohio State’s Chris Olave.
As for their situation at linebacker, they could use another interior player to pair with Foyesade Oluokun after cutting Myles Jack. Walker and Dean were very important players for the Bulldogs during their journey to a national championship, and many scouts predict them to translate well in the NFL.
