As the 2016 NFL season concludes, it’s time for a Jaguars mock draft courtesy of yours truly. There are many routes Jacksonville can go in selecting their new player with the fourth overall pick in this year’s first round. After finishing 3-13, the Jaguars have yet again a high draft pick. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, although now-a-days players that get drafted in later rounds are having better success in the league than the guys who are high draft picks. Jacksonville desperately needs an offensive lineman, among other positions that will be open once free agency begins in the coming months.
For the Jaguars, selecting a guy that can come in and work frequently for a starting spot on the roster is definitely a must. Many fans of the team want a running back, though the team really has no need to draft a back that high with their fist pick. Among the other positions, safety is a huge hole that will be open when the draft rolls around in April.
With that being said, let’s take a look at a couple of college players that the Jaguars may be scouting to draft with their fourth overall pick in the first round.
Jacksonville Jaguars First Round Mock Draft
With so many positions open, I have narrowed it down to four players the Jaguars could potentially select.
Jonathan Allen
Allen is a versatile defensive end who starred in his college career at Alabama. Along with Tim Williams, Allen was a monster on that glorious defense for the Tide. He played all four seasons, and ultimately appeared in three SEC Championships and three College Football Playoffs. In 2016, Allen won the Nagurski Trophy and the Bednarik Award, two outstanding awards that are handed to defensive lineman. Allen is a player that would fit right in on the Jaguars’ front defensive line. He has the monstrous playmaking to hurry a quarterback and take him down for a loss of yards. Watching Allen play at Alabama was a work of art. His footwork to fight off the offensive lineman to get to the backfield is outstanding. He is a guy I think would start right away if the Jaguars take him.
Jamal Adams
Adams has been considered the best safety in all of college football. Starring at LSU, Adams was a monstrous player that would lock down a receiver before he could get ten yards down the field. Like other LSU great defensive players, Adams can locate the ball and hawk it down like nothing happened. He would be a great addition to the Jacksonville defense that is already loaded at other positions. Fit him in the mix, and the Jaguars defense could potentially be the best in the league next season if Adams starts right away.
Leonard Fournette
Another LSU great, Fournette didn’t exactly have the career he wanted in Baton Rouge. Plagued by injuries. Fournette only had one great season, which came in 2015. That season, he started out great but slumped late in the season. Despite the injuries, I think Fournette would fare well with this offense and could take pressure off of Blake Bortles. His power running style is something that many in Jacksonville haven’t seen in some time, and many believe he could be the next great running back.
Dalvin Cook
Cook is another versatile running back that has the style to fit into this offense. Playing at Florida State, Cook was considered a back that could go high in the draft, even as his team slumped in 2016. Taking a running back that high can be risky, although Cook has the power, like Fournette, to take control of the running game. He is an exceptional runner that can shake off defenders with ease and fight for extra yards. If he is taken with our fourth overall pick, I believe he, just like the other three mentioned, would fare very well in this offense and could help the team thrive towards a .500 winning percentage or better.
Which Pick Makes the Most Sense?
In my opinion, this is a tough answer. All four of these players are worthy of being drafted by the Jaguars, a team that is on the rise. Many have said Cook or Adams. Some fans want Allen. Though not many are picking Fournette, I would love to see him shred defenses while wearing the teal and black. With all of that said, here is the player who makes the most sense to come play in the Jaguars organization.
Jamal Adams makes the most sense, for a few reasons. He would be playing in a secondary that already has a ball-hawking player in Jalen Ramsey and Adams would be in the running for the best safety in the NFL. Yeah, there are great safeties out there. Plenty of them. But Adams would play well on the other side of Ramsey and could boost the defense into being something better than what they are though to be. The team’s interception rates would skyrocket with Adams playing, something that Jacksonville needs to boost up.
It’s for these reasons that Adams appears to be the best available player that would be on the board when the Jaguars officially are on the clock in April. If the team doesn’t take him, they would be missing out on what could be a big addition to the defense.
In going with Adams, it’s not that the team doesn’t have other needs to address. But once free agency begins and players start to get released, the open slot for a safety will be there. And the team shouldn’t look to free agency for a player at the position. Take what is being handed to you, and that is Jamal Adams. He is the best safety rated in the draft, and will be there when the Jags make their first round pick. Allen, Fournette, and Cook are all excellent players worthy of coming to Jacksonville. But if this organization wants a boost on the tail end of the defensive side, be wise and take Adams. The Jaguars defense will be elite for years to come if they pick him up in the draft.
