The Jacksonville Jaguars have experienced a rough go of things in 2018. With deep postseason hopes at the start of the year, a 4-8 record after three quarters of the season was not the expectation. There have been multiple key injuries and bad quarterback play. But with a few tweaks to the offense, this team could be a contender once again. And the Jaguars should do just that in the 2019 draft. Heavy on offense early on. Let’s take a look at the potential picks for the first three rounds.
2019 Three Round Mock Draft
Round One: Dwayne Haskins, Quarterback
It’s no secret the the Jaguars need a better quarterback. Look no further than Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins. Although 2018 is Haskins’ first year as a starter, he’s caught fire lately. This year he has a 70.2 completion percentage with 4580 yards. He’s also thrown for 47 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. The 6’2″ signal caller is a semifinalist for the Heisman trophy along with two other quarterbacks.
While Haskins doesn’t have a ton of experience, he has displayed good ball placement allowing his receivers to rack up yards after the catch. He is accurate and has a strong arm, but will need to adjust to an NFL offense. Even with the risk associated with his lack of experience, Haskins has a lot of upside and the Jaguars should strongly consider him for their first pick.
Round Two: JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Wide Receiver
Though the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted D.J. Chark in the second round of 2018’s NFL draft, the team still doesn’t have a true number one receiver. That should change after picking up the 6’3″, 225-pound wideout from Standford. JJ Arcega-Whiteside is in his senior year and it’s an impressive one.
In 2018, Arcega-Whiteside has 60 receptions for 969 yards with 14 touchdowns. He’s averaging 16.2 yards per catch. In fact, in Stanford’s win over California on December 1st, Arcega-Whiteside hauled in five catches for 109 yards. A talented receiver is a good option for a Jaguars team that needs a number one receiver and looks to have a new signal caller come 2019.
Round Three: Andre Dillard, Tackle
The Jacksonville Jaguars offensive line has been a rotation this season. Fighting through many injuries, they would do well to shore up their line. Andre Dillard is a senior at Washington State and is invited to the Reese’s Senior Bowl. Dillard is 6’5″ 310 pounds and has spent his time in college at left tackle. The Jags current starting left tackle, Cam Robinson, is out with an ACL tear. But the team could slide Dillard over to right tackle to help their strength and youth at the position.
The Jaguars current right tackle is Jeremy Parnell. Parnell is 32 and in his next to last year of his current contract. Spotrac shows that cutting Parnell in 2019 would only cause a $6 million cap hit with no dead cap. Dillard would be a good add as he is a good pass blocker, not giving up many sacks.
Round Three: Noah Fant, Tight End
The Jaguars can’t seem to find the right fit tight endend. They should grab one with the pick they have from the Los Angeles Rams for the Dante Fowler trade. Granted, off season acquistion Austin Seferian-Jenkins was placed on injured reserve earlier this year. If healthy, he could prove to do well. But, this should be an offensive draft for the team and they go for Noah Fant out of Iowa.
Fant may not fall to the end of the third round, but he’s an intriguing prospect. He’s 6’5″ and 241 pounds. In 2018 alone, Fant has 39 receptions for 518 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s another big target that Dwayne Haskins (or another prospect) would have at his disposal.
The Last Word
The Jacksonville Jaguars need to have a good draft in 2019. Dave Caldwell has his work cut out, but it’s obvious that it should be an offensive heavy draft. If the team selects the right quarterback and fills some spots around him, the team can once again be in contention in the AFC South.
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