If you’re a fan of the Jacksonville Jaguars, you should be quite happy that 2018 is in the rear view mirror. The team fell far from the lofty 2017 AFC Championship appearance. While the defense was still dominant, the offense was horrendous. Blake Bortles was benched, Leonard Fournette had a forgettable year, and the offensive coordinator was fired. It’s now time to think about how the Jags can build a better offense. The first three rounds of the 2019 NFL draft should be loaded with offensive picks for the Jaguars to start their offensive rebuild. Let’s take a look at some potential fits for the early rounds.
Jacksonville Jaguars 2019 Early Round Needs
1st Round
The first round of the draft should be a no brainer for the Jaguars. They need a quarterback and Dwayne Haskins is the best signal-caller available. They should do whatever it takes to get Haskins. Trade to the number one pick to get Haskins? Do it. Trade multiple first rounders to get Haskins? Still do it. The Jags have shown in the past that they are bad at drafting quarterbacks. Just look at the likes of Byron Leftwich, Blaine Gabbert, and Bortles. If they decide to go with any other quarterback in this class in the first round, it simply doesn’t make sense. Haskins has shown in college that he has a great arm and new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo could be a good mentor as he transitions to the NFL.
2nd Round
The second round of the draft should be interesting for the Jags. It could go in many directions, but they would do well to add a receiving threat. Either a receiver or a tight end would be great. Receiver N’Keal Harry would be a steal if available in the second round. The 6’4″ and 213 pound Junior out of Arizona State fits the mold of a number one receiver. In 2018, Harry had 73 receptions for 1088 yards and nine touchdowns.
The Jaguars could also decide to go for a tight end in the second round. If so, they could go for either Noah Fant or T.J. Hockenson. Both are out of Iowa and are projected to be late first round or early second round picks. Getting a tight end would be nice, as the position has been somewhat of a revolving door for the Jags as of late. Marcedes Lewis was a long time leader on the team until being cut after the 2017 season and 2018 was the year of injuries for the tight end position in Jacksonville. A receiver or tight end would be a good option in order to give the new quarterback a new weapon.
3rd Round
The Jaguars have two picks in the third round this year, thanks to trading away Dante Fowler. This round would be a good one to take a look at the offensive line. The team could use a tackle or a guard and there are many good options. Andre Dillard out of Washington State is a possible third rounder and has experience playing left tackle. There’s also Trey Pipkins out of Sioux Falls who played in this year’s East-West Shrine Game. If the Jags decide to pick a guard, Chris Lindstrom out of Boston College would be a good pick and he could potentially start his rookie year.
The Jaguars second third-round pick will come at the end of the round. This should be their first defensive pick of the draft. They should look for a linebacker with this pick. T.J. Edwards from Wisconsin would be an intriguing pick. The 6’1″ 242 pound senior had 73 solo tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, along with three sacks and three interceptions in 2018. The Jaguars linebacker group had an underwhelming year as a whole, and it’s not time to move on from any of them yet, but someone like Edwards would fit well with the Jags defense.
The Last Word
The 2019 draft should be all about offense early on for the Jaguars. They need to get the quarterback position figured out and give him some weapons. With four picks in the first three rounds, the team can go a long way towards revamping their offense, as well as potentially adding a defender to develop on an already strong defensive side of the ball.
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