Day four of TGH’s Draftmas takes a look at the Jacksonville Jaguars. What will the Jacksonville Jaguars 2017 NFL Draft look like?
(Photo Credit: Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
The Jaguars went 3-13 last season and have had a very busy offseason within the front office. Tom Coughlin was hired to serve as the Executive Vice President of football operations. Coughlin was the first ever head coach in Jacksonville Jaguars history and led them to the AFC Championship Game in just their second season.
Coughlin went 68-60 in Jacksonville. His 68 wins and 53 percent winning percentage are both the best in franchise history. Coughlin will be looking to bring that success back to Jacksonville this time from the front office.
Jaguars general manager David Caldwell received a two-year extension in January. One of his recent moves was letting go of head coach Gus Bradley who went 14-48 as the Jaguars head coach. When Bradley was fired Doug Marrone was named the interim head coach. Marrone went 1-1 and his interim label was removed.
The Jaguars haven’t made the playoffs since 2007 and haven’t won more than five games in a season since 2011. Jacksonville had a good free agency period signing defensive tackle Calais Campbell, cornerback A.J. Bouye, and safety Barry Church. These moves were solid and building a strong defense will be the key to winning more than five games and getting to the playoffs.
The Jaguars have eight picks in the draft. That is a solid amount of picks to try and build this franchise into a playoff contender. There is room to maneuver around for more picks by trading down or if there is a player they want they have the pieces to move up to acquire that player.
First Round: (1) No. 4
Second Round: (1) No. 35
Third Round: (1) No. 68
Fourth Round: (1) No. 110
Fifth Round: (1) No. 148
Sixth Round: (1) No. 187
Seventh Round: (2) No. 222, No. 240
Having eight picks can really help this team build depth. The Jaguars have shown in free agency over the past few seasons they want to build an elite defense. The expectation is that this will be an offensive heavy draft but they still have needs on both sides of the ball.
Offensive Needs:
Tight End
Center
Left Guard
Left Tackle
Quarterback
Defensive Needs:
Outside Linebacker
Defensive Tackle
Nickel Cornerback
Assuming there are no trades, these are the players the Jaguars should target in the first three rounds of the 2017 NFL draft.
First Round:
Pick #4: Jonathan Allen DT, Alabama
(Photo Credit: http://www.washingtontimes.com)
When Tom Coughlin was leading the Giants to Super Bowl victories over the New England Patriots it was because of the depth on the defensive line. Jonathan Allen is a franchise changing lineman, similar to Warren Sapp and Aaron Donald. Drafting Allen would allow Coughlin to build something similar in Jacksonville.
Second Round:
Pick #35: Pat Elflein C, Ohio State
Building the offensive line is important to the success of an NFL franchise. Jacksonville needs help up front in multiple positions. The strength of the offensive line starts with the center and Pat Elflein is a perfect fit in Jacksonville to be the quarterback of the line.
Third Round:
Pick #68: Brad Kaaya, Miami
Drafting Blake Bortles third overall was a major reach. Bortles is still relatively young but has the same amount of wins as he does of interceptions for touchdowns. Brad Kaaya needs time to develop and sitting behind Bortles while he struggles could be the perfect fit.
The Jaguars are not far from contending in the weak AFC South. Adding depth to the defense will really turn Jacksonville into a team nobody wants to face. On offense, if they shore up the offensive line and help Bortles stay away from turnovers, then Jacksonville will win more the five games and compete for the division’s crown.
Thank you for joining us on our fourth day of TGH Draftmas! Check back tomorrow where we will be bringing you the Draft Profile of the Tennessee Titans!
Here are the last two days of TGH Draftmas:
Draftmas Day 2: San Francisco 49ers
Draftmas Day 3: Chicago Bears
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