The Jacksonville Jaguars took a step or two backwards last season, one year removed from one of the best seasons in franchise history. Coach Doug Peterson’s team had all the makings of a Super Bowl contender but fell fall short of their ultimate goal for myriad, relatively minor reasons.
Now, the Jaguars have a new lease on life as the 2024 NFL Draft dawns near. The Jaguars have the 17th pick in a loaded draft and should have the opportunity to selected a day one difference maker for either the offense or defense depending on which route they decide to go. Recently, the top three players the Jaguars must avoid were released. A seven round Jags mock draft was also shared.
Pederson’s team needs help at several positions including cornerback, defensive end/rush linebacker and wide receiver. Here are three fearless predictions for Jacksonville heading into Thursday night’s first round in Detroit:
1. Cooper DeJean Will Be the Jaguars’ Man at Pick 17
DeJean is a bit of a gamble as a first rounder considering he is coming off of a fractured fibula injury with the Iowa Hawkeyes, but DeJean is simply too talented to pass up.
He can play multiple positions ranging from cornerback to free safety to kick and punter returner and he has the talent, speed, fundamentals and physicality to play all of them exceptionally well. Over the last two seasons, the Odebolt, Iowa native had a combined seven interceptions and 13 pass breakups in Iowa City. Those totals would have been higher if he hadn’t have gotten injured.
DeJean likely won’t last past the first round so if Pederson’s crew wants him, they will almost certainly need to select him with the seventeenth pick, although he may not last past Indianapolis at pick 15.
2. Keon Coleman or Xavier Leggette Will Be the Jaguars’ Second Round Target
The Jaguars will likely target Coleman, a FSU star and Michigan State transfer, or Leggette, a South Carolina Gamecocks star, to help fill the void at wide receiver in the second round with pick number 48. Coleman would also be a bit of a risk but he appears to be just now scratching the surface of his talents after finding a home with Mike Norvell’s team in Tallahassee.
Leggette is perhaps the biggest wild card in the entire draft at the receiver position. With his 6-foot-3 frame and 70-plus, 1,200-plus yard receiving season in Columbia, SC, you would think he would go higher in the draft. Leggette could be a steal if taken in the second round, especially with Calvin Ridley now in Tennessee and the Jaguars in desperate need of a tall target on the outside for QB Trevor Lawrence.
3. The Jaguars Will Find At Least One Late Round Sleeper
Jacksonville has the system and players in place to plug and play any number of potential late round picks into key positions next season.
While the Jaguars are not one of the NFL’s best teams, they do feel like the type of team that is just a few smart decisions away from succeeding at a high level.
Some of the team’s late round targets could include Josh Wallace, a cornerback from Michigan who excelled opposite future top ten pick Will Johnson, Khyree Jackson, a cornerback from Oregon who is 6-foot-4 and could slide from the second round to the fourth round, and several others. The Jaguars might not end up with the best draft but they can have a great one, and it starts by maximizing each pick they currently own from the first round to the seventh round.
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