Analyzing Each Jaguars' 2021 Draft Pick: How Do 9 Rookies Fit Into the Team's Plans?

The Jaguars are officially set to put a team on the field in 2021, with nine new rookies in place to join the team and potentially make a lasting impact on the franchise. What does each pick bring to the team, and why did the Jaguars make these specific selections?

The 2021 NFL Draft is, at last, over.

The most important draft class in Jacksonville Jaguars history, the Jaguars ' brain trust of head coach Urban Meyer and general manager Trent Baalke took it upon themselves to add nine new players to a depleted Jaguars' roster. 

What does each of the picks mean for 2021? What was the team's reasoning for each pick? We take a look below through all nine new Jaguars, from Trevor Lawrence to Jalen Camp.

Round 1, Pick No. 1: Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence

Why they made the pick: Well, this one is easy. The Jaguars had the No. 1 overall pick largely because years of poor decisions and a few bad breaks at the quarterback position made the Jaguars as starved for a franchise quarterback as any team in the NFL. Trevor Lawrence has long been seen as the next great quarterback prospect in scouting circles and his selection as the draft's top pick was more so a case of when and not if. Lawrence has the physical schools, track record of success, and natural instincts at the quarterback position to give the Jaguars some hope at the position moving forward. 

The Jaguars were always going to pick a quarterback, and they had to ultimately pick between Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, and Justin Fields. Lawrence won out over a month after Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer took the job, and the Jaguars then set out for how to prepare to build around their new franchise passer.

"Probably at the end of the month in January, I mean, early February. We spent a good, probably a month—we kind of had ideas, but it got—there were some good Zoom calls with those other two quarterbacks," Meyer said. "Very good players, I’m glad to see. High, high-end character guys, very good leaders, tough competitors, but we feel good about our quarterback.”

His place on the roster in 2021: Again, this one is easy. Lawrence is the Jaguars' starting quarterback for 2021 and for the foreseeable future after that. The Jaguars still have to figure out who exactly will be Lawrence's backup, but there is no question that he will be the one taking snaps from Brandon Linder with the rest of the starting offense once he hits the field in training camp. The Jaguars aren't going to slow play Lawrence's development, and his 30+ started games and multiple postseason runs in college suggest they don't need to anyway.

"Well, the way I've always looked at everything is—at the moment whoever gives us the best chance to win is going to be playing, if that's your question. And that's every position at that moment who gives us the best chance to win and that there is an incredible amount of urgency," Meyer said on Friday at Lawrence's introductory press conference. 

"I told our players that, all due respect, the four-, five-, six-year plans, that’s not that plan at all. The plan is to try to do the very best to win. Every time we line up, we try to win.”

Round 1, Pick No. 25: Clemson RB Travis Etienne

Why they made the pick: The Jaguars wanted to add speed to their offense in 2021 and they failed to do that during free agency other than the additions of depth players in Phillip Dorsett and Jamal Agnew. As a result, it appears Urban Meyer was set on adding an explosive skill player to the offense at No. 25 overall no matter what, whether with Florida's Kadarius Toney or with Clemson running back Travis Etienne, who became the Jaguars' selection after Toney was scooped up by the New York Giants at No. 20. Etienne is one of the draft's most athletic playmakers, recording an RAS of 9.13. There are questions about his fit as a third-down back due to his issues in pass protection, but he gives the Jaguars an explosive element they previously didn't have. 

Travis Etienne's RAS, per Kent Lee Platte

Whether he takes the bulks of his snaps rushing out the backfield or is used more as a pass-catching threat, the Jaguars picked Etienne simply because of his speed and home run ability. He hit explosive plays at an extremely high rate at Clemson, which would be welcomed on a team that finished No. 21 in explosive offensive plays last season per Sharp Football Stats. James Robinson was one of the NFL's best running backs in terms of 10+ and 15+ yard runs last year, but the Jaguars evidently would likely hope to see more of those runs become scores.

The Jaguars have been predictably critiqued for taking a running back at No. 25 (and then calling him a third-down back minutes later) when they already have the productive and talented Robinson, but their argument is that Etienne is a different type of player who will be utilized in areas Robinson typically wouldn't be. Whether this argument has merit, or whether it was right to find that type of player at No. 25 instead of waiting until later in the draft, will be determined over the next few years, but the Jaguars were willing to add to either a crowded running back or receiver room at No. 25 as long as it meant adding an explosive playmaker. 

His place on the roster in 2021: The most fascinating part of the Jaguars' training camp will likely be how the team manages both Etienne and Robinson's places in the offense. Urban Meyer frequently utilized splitback formations at Ohio State, but having two starting-quality running backs on the field as opposed to putting more receivers or blockers on the field isn't always going to be the right move. 

My gut guess as of right now is Etienne will lead the team in snaps at running back. Robinson will likely, and strangely, lose some snaps and carries to Carlos Hyde. Neither Robinson or Hyde offer what Etienne does in terms of explosiveness or in terms of versatility as a pass-catcher, but both are also better pass-protectors. There could be instances in which Robinson is in the backfield on third down and Etienne is moved into the slot. This is going to be a tough puzzle for the Jaguars to figure out, but one would have to imagine they had a plan in place when they selected the electric running back.

"Travis Etienne, and someone said why would you take another running back? He’s much more than a running back," Meyer said following the draft's conclusion.

"He’s a slash — we did not recruit him just because he’s a running back. We probably wouldn’t have. He’s a guy that had a lot of production in the pass game at Clemson. He has excellent hands and he’ll be dual-trained, he’ll be a guy that we dual-train. Those guys are hard to find, but if you find one, we know how to use them. With him I expect an instant impact."

Round 2, Pick No. 33: Georgia CB Tyson Campbell

Why they made the pick: The Jaguars wanted to go into overdrive when it came to adding depth to the team's second-most volatile position last year, behind only quarterback. The Jaguars trotted out countless cornerback combinations in 2020 as a result of injuries, leading to one of the worst pass defenses in recent NFL memory. The Jaguars said at the start of the offseason that adding to the secondary would be a priority, and Georgia's Tyson Campbell is the second major investment at cornerback following the signing of Shaquill Griffin in free agency. Instead of entering the season with CJ Henderson, Sidney Jones, and Griffin as the team's top options at outside cornerback, the Jaguars now considerably bolstered depth.

"It’s an insurance policy in the fact that guys get dinged up at that position. Last year was a tough year for us; we had a lot of injuries back there," Meyer said. 

"The thing Tyson Campbell gave is flexibility at something other — he was a safety in high school and he’s a very physical player, great blitzer. Those are all qualities of the nickel. They’re very hard to find. I go back to Florida days, a Will Hill or an Ahmad Black, but they’re hard to find, the guys that can go inside and outside, and that’s the reason when we saw him sitting there — I didn’t know he’d make it there — we were worried he’d be gone before then.”

The Jaguars could have avoided adding an outside cornerback and nobody would have batted an eye considering Henderson's immense talent and status as a former top-10 pick, while Jones was the team's best cornerback last year. With this in mind, each of those players appeared in just eight games due to injuries last year. Campbell seems like a pick made to ensure the Jaguars aren't scrambling for cornerbacks on what is set to be a defensive back-heavy scheme. 

His place on the roster in 2021: This is a genuinely tough one to figure out. Campbell has the ideal traits to be an outside cornerback in a man coverage defense that places an emphasis on press coverage, which is exactly what the Jaguars are set to run in 2021. He has length, height, and 4.4 speed, so if the Jaguars picked him and said he would be an outside cornerback, there would be no confusion. 

But the Jaguars have just one outside spot left to divide between him and Henderson. Griffin is the team's highest-paid defensive back and isn't a slot cornerback, so he will undoubtedly be starting at one outside spot from day one. Henderson and Campbell will theoretically then have to be sorted out as the team's nickel and outside cornerbacks. Meyer talked up Campbell a lot as a potential nickel option over the weekend, however, so it appears he could be destined to be the team's No. 3 cornerback in 2021 as long as the entire room is healthy.

"I’ve known Tyson since his sophomore year in high school, state champ in Florida. He was [Patrick] Surtain’s teammate, wonderful family, played safety, very good tackler when you watch him blitz. He’s a versatile defensive back so when you look at our corners and Tyson, you’ve got these long, six-foot-plus guys that run a 4.4 [40-yard dash] and he’s physical," Meyer said. 

"The flexibility that he will provide — he didn’t play a lot of inside for Georgia, but he was a safety in high school, and like I said I’ve known him a long time. I actually heard on television and we agreed with the assessment on television that he’s so confident in his speed he’s never out of control. We love that guy on film.”

Round 2, Pick No. 45: Stanford OT Walker Little

Why they made the pick: The Jaguars have gotten a mixed reaction out of many for this selection, but the team's logic in the decision-making isn't hard to follow. 

The detractors of the pick have pointed out the risk in taking Walker Little in the top-50 after passing on Teven Jenkins at No. 33 considering Little missed 2019 with an ACL injury and didn't play in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Plus, the Jaguars franchise tagged left tackle Cam Robinson and have a former second-rounder in third-year right tackle Jawaan Taylor.

Meanwhile, those who have graded the pick highly note that Little likely would have gone much higher if not for a pandemic forcing countless Pac-12 players to opt-out in 2020. He is a high-upside pick who more or less was there at No. 45 because of the circumstances following the end of his college career. 

Ultimately, the Jaguars needed to add both current competition and future depth at the offensive tackle position. Robinson carries a hefty price tag in 2021, but it is a one-year contract; there is no guarantee he is protecting Trevor Lawrence's blindside in 2022. The Jaguars couldn't afford to walk into next offseason with the same predicament at left tackle they had this past offseason, especially in the event Robinson doesn't take a step forward. Little gives them a high-upside option at left tackle in the event this happens. Little needs some development after not playing for two seasons, but the Jaguars are a team that can afford to stash him on the sideline for a bit as a rookie thanks to the presence of Robinson.

"He hasn’t played in a long time. He was the number one tackle coming out of high school, I remember him. He was very good before he got hurt early in the season, not this past year but before. And then the Pac-12 canceled the season, and that’s when he started training somewhere else," Meyer said on Friday after selecting Little. 

"We were kind of hoping he’d go play in the Senior Bowl so we could go and watch him, but we did a lot of intel. I know Coach [David] Shaw fairly well, and you watch his athleticism and bendability for a big man. The tackle position was very thin this year, and we needed a backup left tackle. He’s again trying to develop to at one point to become a starter. We’ve kind of focused on him pretty early in the whole scenario.”

His place on the roster in 2021: Little will likely provide some training camp competition at left tackle (with Will Richardson Jr. assumedly sliding to right tackle in this scenario), but he has an inside track to be the team's top swing tackle in 2021. Robinson should still be the favorite to be the Week 1 starter at left tackle, but that question could always be revised throughout training camp.

Little is a pick that makes a lot more sense for the future than it does for 2021. The Jaguars didn't fill an immediately pressing need, especially if they see Little as strictly a left tackle, but they set their offensive line depth chart up for the future. Little will be active this year, but it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't make a start until 2022. 

"Walker Little is going to push our tackles. Our tackles have to play better. I like how hard they’re working, I like their talent level, but the best thing you can do is create a little competition, and I’ve made that clear with Walker," Meyer said on Saturday following the draft. 

Round 3, Pick No. 65: Syracuse S Andre Cisco

Why they made the pick: The Jaguars made a point throughout the offseason of stating how much they wanted to overhaul the secondary. The Jaguars did so in free agency with cornerback Shaquill Griffin and safeties Rayshawn Jenkins and Rudy Ford, but a true playmaker in the backend of the defense was still needed. And ultimately, few safeties in this year's draft had the kind of production in terms of plays made on the ball that Syracuse's Andre Cisco had.

Cisco played in 24 games and recorded 136 tackles, 29 passes defensed, 13 interceptions, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. His 12 interceptions from 2018-19 were the most by any player in college football during that span. Considering the Jaguars' entire safety room had just 13 combined interceptions in their NFL careers entering draft week, it is little surprise the Jaguars wanted to add a playmaker to the position. 

The flip side is Cisco sustained a season-ending ACL injury in late September last fall. Taking a player fresh off a serious injury like that is always a risk, but it is a risk the Jaguars accepted when they selected Cisco with their final pick of Day 3. The Jaguars are clearly confident he will be available, several times over the weekend referencing a video of him working out on the field.

"Well, I tell you what, he’s a guy we just all fell in love with. Before that injury, he’s — I had Malik Hooker at Ohio State — and he’s the best overlap player I thought in the draft," Meyer said on Friday night.

"We used to call Reggie Nelson the eraser, he makes a lot of things right. Best ball skills we felt in the back end of the draft. We had a couple incredible Zoom calls with him. Great background, great character and if he wasn’t injured, I think that was a value pick. We’re real pleased with that."

His place on the roster in 2021: This is a question that is going to be interesting to track throughout training camp. Ultimately, this is one question that can't be answered until it is clear when Cisco is cleared to be on the field. Cisco himself gave a detailed update on his recovery from his ACL injury, which is still in process.

"Yeah, I’m a little over six months out of surgery. Right now, I’m working on doing field work, my normal positional workouts. So, I’m on the field and moving around and I feel pretty good. I’m working at 85 percent right now, so working through that," Cisco said on Friday night following his selection. 

"Little tweaks here and there, so I would say that I’m still working through this journey. I’m not there yet, but I'm looking forward to starting training camp out and being 100 percent cleared.”

If Cisco is healthy at the start of training camp, one has to think he is pushing Jarrod Wilson for a starting safety spot or, at worst, locked in as the team's third safety in dime packages and three-safety looks. It all depends on his timeline and how things are looking around training camp.

Round 4, Pick 106: USC DL Jay Tufele

Why they made the pick: The Jaguars had a big need at three-technique entering the draft cycle. They traded for Malcom Brown to start at nose tackle and signed Roy Robertson-Harris to start at five-technique, but their third defensive line addition, Tyson Alualu, didn't sign with the team. He re-signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers after agreeing to terms with the Jaguars but never formally signing the deal, creating room for the Jaguars to add a one-gap penetrator to their defensive line, especially one who can play the run.

The Jaguars added a high-floor run defender in Jay Tufele, a former All-Pac 12 player who likely would have been a Day 2 pick had he not opted out in 2020. Tufele is a former top defensive tackle recruit who Meyer attempted to recruit heavily to Ohio State, so Meyer knows the caliber of athlete and leader he is. Tufele is rough around the edges as a pass-rusher, but he has the strength and ability to beat blocks to start at three-technique in base formations early on in his career. 

"It was long, but I go back to the needs of this team. This team lost a lot of games last year. There’s a bunch of games they could’ve won. You look at the roster that has some very good core players, but there’s also some very significant weaknesses that you had to hit, and I think we hit them. The one that was brought up, the tight end position, no, there’s still work to be done at that spot," Meyer said on Saturday. 

"We hit the three technique right at the end and hopefully he’s good enough and he comes in ready to go. I’m just pleased that we — it’d be a bad feeling if we started the draft with a bunch of holes and left the draft with a bunch of holes.”

Ultimately, Tufele gives the Jaguars young depth to develop at defensive tackle but also a player who can make an impact early on as a run defender. They needed to leave with one disruptive defensive lineman, and they got that in Tufele.

His place on the roster in 2021: We will see just how much Tufele plays as a rookie. The Jaguars' defensive line room has had a lot of bodies either added to it or retained from last season, so it is getting hard and harder to divide snaps. Meyer said on Saturday that he expects Tufele to "be in the mix", so he could be more than a rotational lineman early on.

With this in mind, Tufele and Taven Bryan stand out as the team's only true three-techniques. Bryan had his fifth-year option declined by the team on Monday but may make the team based solely on the fact that he is cheap depth at the undertackle position. Tufele is likely a better player than he is right now, however, so he should be the favorite to start at the position in base defensive packages. 

Round 4, Pick 121: UAB EDGE Jordan Smith

Why they made the pick: The Jaguars couldn't avoid adding a pass-rusher at some point in this year's draft. They have two talented pass-rushers in Josh Allen and K'Lavon Chaisson who will be ready on Week 1 to pin their ears back and get to quarterbacks, but the Jaguars lacked depth at the position in a big way.

As a result, the Jaguars took the long and quick Jordan Smith, a former four-star recruit and Florida Gators defensive end. He is a natural 3-4 outside linebacker who has raw tools worth developing. The Jaguars saw a few other targets fly off the board earlier in the draft, so the Jaguars had no hesitation in making a trade up for Smith in the fourth round. 

"Well, when you look at the board, again, our board is based on value and at that point in time, he was clearly the highest rated guy on our board, and we just didn’t feel comfortable with what we may possibly get if we weren’t able to get him. So, we just made the decision to move up and be aggressive," Baalke said on Saturday.

His place on the roster in 2021: Sitting behind Josh Allen and K'Lavon Chaisson. It makes sense for Jordan Smith to see the field on special teams and a pass-rush specialist in certain situations, but he very much seems like a player the Jaguars wanted to pick to develop for future seasons. Smith will make the roster and likely be Jacksonville's No. 3 or No. 4 option as an edge rusher, but players like Roy-Robertson Harris, Dawuane Smoot, and Lerentee McCray could also provide an edge rush.

"Jordan Smith is a guy that’s not ready. I spent some time with his college coach on the phone and he agrees, but he thinks if we get this thing going, he’s just a late bloomer and then in a couple years you build his body up and he learns how to play, get a little more experience," Meyer said. 

Round 5, Pick 145: Ohio State TE Luke Farrell

Why they made the pick: The Jaguars were quickly becoming desperate to add a player with a pulse to the tight end position during Day 3 of this year's draft. They passed on selecting Penn State's Pat Freiermuth twice, passed on Hunter Long, and then finally took a tight end in the fifth round to give the team much-needed depth.

With this in mind, the Jaguars took Farrell over several pass-catching tight end prospects such as Brevin Jordan, who was selected by the Houston Texans just a few picks later. The Jaguars clearly valued Farrell's blocking ability and Meyer's familiarity with him -- Meyer recruited him to Ohio State and coached him for multiple seasons. It appears the Jaguars either didn't have high grades on the available pass-catching tight ends, or they already have a plan to add a player to that position.

"He’s not the pass-catching tight end but one way to also help a young quarterback — and if you’ve ever looked at our young quarterbacks when they would play — the number one way to help a young quarterback is to have a successful run game," Meyer said on Saturday. "Not be a one dimensional and let the defensive ends in the NFL taking swings at you every down. That’s why we took Chris Manhertz and Luke Farrell to be creative in some of the run-game formations. That’s why we have Carlos Hyde and James Robinson.”

His place on the roster in 2021: This one is easy to project. Meyer has made it clear how he separates the Jaguars' tight end roles, with 'Y's serving as blockers and 'F's serving as receivers. Farrell is clearly a Y, but so is veteran blocking tight end Chris Manhertz. 

Farrell will slot in behind Manhertz on the team's depth chart but he should be expected to see the field often in two-tight end sets if the Jaguars are looking to run the ball. He could also be a common player to see on the field in goal line packages. Regardless, look for him to be the Jaguars' second tight end on running plays and when they run max protection.

Round 6, Pick 209: Georgia Tech WR Jalen Camp

Why they made the pick: When it comes to this time in the draft, teams are more or less looking for special teams impact or high-upside developmental projects. That is exactly what the Jaguars are getting in Georgia Tech wide receiver Jalen Camp, one of the most athletic wide receiver prospects drafted on day three. 

Per MockDraftable, Camp, who is nearly 6-foot-2 and weighs 226 pounds, recorded 29 bench press reps, which ranks in the 99th percentile among receivers, to go along with a 4.48 40-yard dash (64th percentile), 39.5-inch vertical (89th percentile), and 125-inch broad jump (78th percentile). He is the definition of an athletic upside selection.

Jalen Camp's RAS, per Kent Lee Platte

With that said, Camp has a lot to prove as a receiver. In 49 games at Georgia Tech, he recorded 48 receptions for 808 yards and five touchdowns. He was a big-play threat, but the Georgia Tech offense limited what he could show in college. 

"What you’re trying to do later in the draft is you’re trying to find guys with upside, guys that for whatever reason may not have gotten the type of notoriety at the position or had the success at the position or whatever else may play a role in that," Baalke said following the draft. 

"But you’re looking for height, weight speed, you’re looking for traits, you’re looking for anything you can hang your hat on to develop. [He’s] another guy that’s a great culture fit, has a great work ethic, an excellent mindset, and he has the physical traits to develop and help us not only as a receiver, but hopefully play an important role on special teams if he reaches his potential.”

His place on the roster in 2021: Camp is the only Jaguars' draft pick who doesn't have a crystal clear path to a spot on the Week 1 53-man roster. The Jaguars were deep at wide receiver entering the draft, with Laviska Shenault, DJ Chark, Marvin Jones, Jamal Agnew, Phillip Dorsett, Collin Johnson, and Terry Godwin already at the position. Camp will have to prove his worth on special teams to battle for the team's No. 6 receiver spot.