Big Cat Country
Nate Wiggins, Terrion Arnold, Malik Nabers, oh my!
Turn on Kevin Costner. It’s Draft Day.
The 2024 NFL Draft is finally here and the Jacksonville Jaguars hold the 17th overall pick. For a majority of these roundups, the assumed pick for the Jags was a corner. Now that the draft is just hours away, there is seemingly as little certainty as ever for who the team might take.
The Jags may trade down. They may stay put. They might even trade back or out of the first round entirely.
The only thing we know for sure is that if Vontae Mack is on the board, pick him no matter what.
ESPN
We start with Jordan Reid who keeps things simple. The pick, at 17 overall, is corner Quinyon Mitchell. The Toledo standout has long been linked to the Jags due to his ability to play man defense.
As the Jaguars transition to more man-to-man coverage under new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, they really need another top-tier cornerback to play opposite Tyson Campbell. Mitchell is an ideal fit. An explosive and ascending prospect, he can get his hands on the ball (15 pass breakups in 2023) and stick on receivers. Mitchell also has the versatility to move around the defense.
The 33rd Team
Ari Meirov switches things up, with the Indianapolis Colts taking Mitchell at 15. The Jags then pivot to wide receiver, and draft LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr.
The Jacksonville Jaguars added Gabriel Davis this offseason but their initial plan was to add Davis while also retaining Calvin Ridley. Ridley left for the division-rival Titans, leaving the Jaguars with a clear need for a big outside receiver. Brian Thomas Jr. has the height, speed, length, ball skills and explosiveness to be that. His 17 touchdowns led the nation last season. Zay Jones, who has a $10 million cap hit, would find himself on the roster bubble if the Jaguars go receiver.
The Ringer
In Ben Solak’s mock, we have the Jags making a splash trade-up. Duval jumps up to eight overall, trading 17, 48 and a 2025 fourth-rounder to the Atlanta Falcons. Why? To draft LSU’s Malik Nabers, the presumed WR2.
Atlanta feels like a great trade-down team. With Nabers still on the board and Chicago (and the Jets, and the Chargers, and the Broncos) lurking, anyone with a hankering for an elite wide receiver needs to get up to this spot, and Atlanta should be happy to oblige. There’s plenty of smoke around the Jaguars’ interest in adding a top receiver prospect to replace Calvin Ridley, who was in their long-term plans before the Titans priced them out.
Yahoo Sports
Charles McDonald and Nate Tice put out their final mock, and have the Jaguars nabbing a receiver. The pick is not a super common one, as the duo has Jacksonville picking Texas receiver Adonai Mitchell.
The Jaguars have a huge need at wide receiver after losing Calvin Ridley to the in-division Titans. Here, they can...
