Best Player Available or Needs? Examining How the Jaguars Should Approach the 2021 NFL Draft

Should the Jaguars look to pick the best player available at every turn of the 2021 NFL Draft, or should they place a high emphasis on filling their most pressing current needs?

It’s almost here.

The NFL Draft is only nine days away now. It feels like Christmas. And for a lot of NFL fanbases, especially Jacksonville's, the draft presents a new hope. That’s why the draft is so beloved. It’s every team's opportunity to find that one guy that will turn the franchise around or get them over the top.

That’s how we all watch it from our houses at least. The teams making the decisions themselves are on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. They work year-round planning for the draft with their respective scouting departments for this three-day event.

And you can make the argument the draft is the most important aspect for a team outside of actually winning games in the NFL. So, with all of the work that goes into the draft for these ball clubs what strategies are employed to get the job done?

Well, there are a bunch of different approaches that combine a lot of different perspectives, strategies and philosophies. However, there are really just two overriding factors when it comes to any particular pick in the NFL Draft.

There are teams that draft for need and put the importance on players that clearly fill a void on their team and then there are teams that draft for value. Those teams don’t concern themselves necessarily with what they have on their roster currently and will take a guy they simply cannot pass on.

Where you find most teams are oftentimes in the middle; a combination of both. The New England Patriots historically just draft for value. Every year over the last two decades it seems they just take a good football player and add to their arsenal of great players. That’s what happens when you have the luxury and consistency Tom Brady and Bill Belichick bring.

The Cleveland Browns historically draft for need. Hence how many first-round quarterbacks they have taken over the last 20 years. There’s even a well-known Browns QB jersey with every quarterback’s name they have taken in recent memory on it.

This isn’t fact, but most teams would like to draft the way the Patriots have. That’s not saying much, but the best way to improve your team quickly is through the draft. And if a team passes on an A player at a position they have a B+ player for a B player where they have a C+ player the overall ‘grade’ of the roster doesn’t go up.

Every year though that seems to be the case with a lot of teams. The Jacksonville Jaguars are no stranger to that, and will most likely make that decision with at least a few picks this season. It becomes a tight rope the decision-makers have to walk weighing value on one side and need on the other.

The Jaguars hold ten overall picks in the 2021 draft and after Trevor Lawrence goes number one overall it’s honestly a complete mystery what the rest of the picks will be. Certain positions will carry more weight for the Jaguars though and none more so than tight end. They have a dire need to find a good pass-catching option at that position and may have to sacrifice value for need.

According to CBS Sports, Florida’s Kyle Pitts is the fourth best prospect and the best tight end. Unfortunately, the next best tight end, Penn State’s Pat Freiermuth, is the 66th best overall prospect.

Due to the lack of quality tight ends higher up in the draft and the clear need by not only Jacksonville but some other teams as well if the Jaguars want to secure Freiermuth they may have to spend the 33rd or 45th overall pick to get him.

Overall seeing the Jaguars new regime draft the best overall players would make the roster better, but they simply don’t have that luxury quite yet. Upgrading to a V-8 engine from a capable V-6 is a great upgrade, but if you don’t have a fourth tire the car is kind of pointless.

That’s how I look at how the Jaguars have to draft in 2021. There are too many holes on this team to pass up the players that will fill them. Now, that doesn’t mean spend all ten picks on glaring needs and completely give up on the value aspect.

If Rashawn Slater from Northwestern is somehow available at 25 head coach Urban Meyer and general manager Trent Baalke better get that card in faster than you can look up how to properly spell Slater’s first name. Obviously, that situation won’t present itself, but as mentioned already the draft is oftentimes a combination of weighing both need and value to find the option that best fits both and this hypothetical shows how there can be an intersection.

Ideally, the Jaguars' needs will align with what players are available at their particular picks and they can just draft simply. If not that’s where all the planning, the big boards, and strategies come into play. It’s why these guys are making millions of dollars.

Most likely the Jaguars' draft will be based on who is being picked ahead of them, which will determine who is left on the board. If you were to put a percentage weight on how the Jaguars should approach the draft it would be 60/40 in favor of need.

It should definitely be a fun draft and with Baalke’s experience as a GM before along with what he’s done in Jacksonville already along with Meyer’s knowledge of these prospects the Jaguars brass should have a great strategy in place. We will find out for sure in nine days.