Big Cat Country
Sorry to spoil the Jaguars’ draft for you.
It’s been a busy week here at Big Cat Country.
Our draft home page is chock-full with Jacksonville Jaguars NFL Draft content.
With just a few hours until the Bears are on the clock, I flew through Pro Football Network’s mock draft simulator — the same used by Simon and Dillon in their recent mocks — to deliver my first and final 2024 Jaguars mock draft.
Without further ado...
Round 1, pick 17: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama
The Jaguars may technically have several higher-graded prospects available when they’re on the clock tonight, but as Trent Baalke said at the team’s pre-draft presser, “When in doubt, you’re going to take the need, if it’s close.”
I will kindly direct you to our mock Jaguars big board for the full explanation of why I believe McKinstry will likely be the pick if Terrion Arnold and Quinyon Mitchell are off the board — which they were in this mock simulation.
Round 2, pick 48: Ja’Lynn Polk, WR, Washington
I was prepared to select a defensive lineman with the second-round pick, due to the expected sharp drop-off in talent at the position, but I was pleasantly surprised to see Polk’s name available at 48. He’s who I consider to be the best feasible receiver prospect available in that range.
Polk has a lot of similar characteristics to his college teammate Rome Odunze’s well-rounded game. Polk will just be selected a round later because his athleticism is merely good-not-great. Some common player comparisons for him include Chris Godwin, Puka Nakua, Mohamed Sanu and DeaSean Hamilton.
Like former Jaguar Allen Robinson, Polk may not have the extra gear to run away from defenders, but he is one of the surest catchers of the football you’ll come across — something Trevor Lawrence should appreciate. He’s also an intelligent receiver against zone coverage, which would make for a nice pairing with man-coverage-destroyer Christian Kirk.
Round 3, pick 96: Blake Fisher, OT, Notre Dame
I would be shocked if the Jaguars didn’t select an offensive lineman with one of its five top-120 picks. Anywhere from pick 17 to 116 wouldn’t surprise me, but I went in the middle here in the third round.
Fisher was expected to start at left tackle for Notre Dame before an injury sidelined him, which opened the door for coaches to watch Joe Alt protect the blindside. While the former may have been pushed to the right side and is expected to be drafted nearly 100 picks after the latter, Fisher is a solid prospect in his own right. He’s a toolsy tackle with NFL length, smooth movement skills and a quick bounce at the snap.
The Jaguars may actually like his experience on the right, as Cam Robinson and Walker Little’s contracts expire next offseason and Anton Harrison may be viewed as an option to play left tackle long term. Fisher doesn’t have very inspiring advanced statistics, but he could become a future starter with...
