Now that the Super Bowl has been played and free agency is only one week away, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will be looking at the top three needs for each team. Today, the Jacksonville Jaguars are the focus. The Jaguars have the 3rd pick in the 2015 NFL Draft and they possess a ridiculous amount of cap space heading into free agency.
Jacksonville Jaguars 2015 Offseason: Top 3 Needs
Pass Rusher
The Jaguars could definitely use an elite pass rusher to play along with Chris Clemons. While their defensive line played relatively well last season and accumulated a solid number of sacks, a consistently elite pass rusher was missing. Red Bryant and Chris Clemons are both in their 30s, so a young defensive end is sorely needed.
The Jaguars will likely target a pass rusher with their first-round pick. Ideally, Leonard Williams (USC) will be available, but there are a few quality options after him. The free agent market is filled with talented pass rushers, so the Jaguars could look to spend some money there, but that wouldn’t exactly fix the age problem.
Offensive Tackle
2013 first-round pick Luke Joeckel struggled last season and there currently is a gaping hole at the right tackle position. Obviously it is too soon to give up on Joeckel, but if he continues to struggle, the tackle position will become the top priority. Maybe he would perform better at right tackle, but that would only leave a gaping hole at the left tackle position. Either way, the position must be addressed this offseason.
If the Jaguars decide to trade back, they might consider taking an offensive tackle in the first round. If Leonard Williams is off the board, this may be a decent option. However, there will also be a few quality tackles available at the beginning of the second round, so that seems like a better option. Nevertheless, the best option is to sign a veteran right tackle like Bryan Bulaga or Doug Free in free agency and hope that Joeckel earns his first-round distinction.
Free Safety
Jonathan Cyprien is a solid strong safety, but there is a gaping hole at free safety. Simply put, Josh Evans isn’t very good. A young and talented secondary can be finalized with a respectable free safety.
The safety class in the draft is not very good, but Cody Prewitt (Ole Miss) and Gerod Holliman (Louisville) are two decent second-round options. Signing a talented free safety in free agency is probably a better option though. Devin McCourty is the best free safety available and the Jaguars definitely have enough cap space to sign him. If they can lure him to Jacksonville, they will have a dangerous secondary in 2015.
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