Big Cat Country
Speculating who the Jaguars front office might consider taking on draft weekend.
When it comes to mock drafts, everybody knows best. But when it comes to the Jacksonville Jaguars, what do we think THEY will do come draft weekend?
Attempting to channel my inner Trent Baalke, I compile a seven-round mock using Pro Football Network’s mock draft simulator, each time trying to behave like the Jags GM would.
Let the fun commence!
Okay; so mock draft simulators are obviously fallible, but we do live in a world where what I consider to be the three obvious candidates for the Jaguars could be off the board by pick 17 on Thursday. In this mock, that worst-case scenario has come true, with Terrion Arnold (Tennessee Titans), Quinyon Mitchell (New York Giants) and Brian Thomas Jr (Indianapolis Colts) all gone.
Considering their clear needs at receiver and corner, I’m not convinced the Jags will want to trade up and lose valuable capital, so in this example I do the next best thing - I trade down.
With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offering an extra second and third round pick to come up for Laiatu Latu, I diligently move back nine spots and land one of the next-tier cornerbacks in the first round. In fact, I had the pick of Cooper DeJean, Nate Wiggins and Kool-Aid McKinstry. All good prospects at this juncture, but with new DC Ryan Nielsen in the building, the physical, versatile DeJean makes the most sense. Nielsen knows the value of having someone you can move around the secondary, having previously worked with Marshon Lattimore in the Big Easy.
DeJean is long and mean, can play a range of positions in the back end, and seems to be a perfect fit in the Jags’ new defensive scheme.
Now loaded with draft capital on Day 2, the Jags can go about filling some holes.
We begin by snagging the receiver that completes Trevor Lawrence’s set of weapons to work with. If rumors are to be believed, Baalke is looking for a real vertical threat, a receiver that can take the top off a defense and be a jump ball specialist on the outside. Step forward Xavier Legette, who has the athleticism to concern DB’s deep…
Legette reminds me a lot of Steve Smith Sr.; stocky, physical and combative in the air. He can run right past you or fight you at the catch point. There’s plenty of polish needed when it comes to route running, but alongside Gabe Davis, Christian Kirk and Evan Engram it’s a quartet that any QB would be happy to work with. Oh, and Baalke banishes the ghost of Calvin Ridley. Perhaps.
With two major areas of need addressed, we start to look at bolstering depth. With Cam Robinson and Walker Little in the final year of their deals, looking for a future blindside protector is not only...
