Jaguars Mailbag: Draft Nuggets, Sleepers for No. 24 and More

In this week's mailbag, we talk all draft and discuss the Jaguars' options at No. 24 and a few off-the-radar options that make sense.

Each week during the offseason, we will be taking questions on the biggest questions facing the Jacksonville Jaguars until Week 1.

You can submit your questions every week by tweeting them to the Jaguar Report Twitter handle or by submitting them here.

In this week's mailbag, we take questions on the No. 24 overall pick, what we are hearing about the Jaguars' draft plans and more. 

Q: If Darnell Washington is available in the mid-second round, say pick 50, do you think there's a chance they could trade up for him? I know TE isn't a huge need with Engram, but I can't help but fantasize about what Pederson's offense could look like running 12 personnel with Engram and Washington as the two TEs.

A: Honestly, this is one of the scenarios I think trading up would actually make sense. I have really been converted over the years in the dangers of trading up, but Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke made it clear last week that the Jaguars are comfortable with the picks they have in 2024. This means that the Jaguars could use their nine picks in this year's draft to be aggressive and go after players on their short lists. 

I have a second-round grade on Darnell Washington, but I think he is a top-25 non-quarterback prospect in the draft. He is a rare enough athlete at a position of need (Y-tight end) and could coexist with Evan Engram in the present and the future. He is worth making that kind of deal for if it gets to that point. 

Q: You’re the GM, Shad tells you to make a splashy move by getting rid of the first-round pick. What are you doing with it?

A: Trading for Budda Baker? I am not sure if a trade for Baker would be the type of deal and splash that would send a fan-base into a frenzy like past splashy offseason moves, but I firmly believe Baker is probably the best available player in football who the Jaguars could add to their roster. 

Baker is one of the five best safeties in the NFL, but he is also much more than that. He is one of the best chesspieces in the NFL on the defensive side of the ball because he can line up at virtually any position in the secondary, play in the box, blitz, shut down tight ends, and limit slot receivers. Baker would transform the Jaguars' pass defense.

Q: If we trade back, what teams would move up and who are trade back targets for us?

A: I think the Saints are the most obvious ones. They have a long history of moving up in the draft and I wouldn't be shocked if they moved up for one of the Keion White/Bryan Bresee/Calijah Kancey trio. The Kansas City Chiefs make sense, too, if they want to secure an offensive tackler or wide receiver.

In terms of trade-back options, I think Darnell Washington has to dominate the conversation. I would be surprised if he is picked in the top-30, so any trade back would give the Jaguars a chance to nab him. There are also options like Syracuse's Matthew Bergeron, South Carolina's Cam Smith, and Georgia's Kelee Ringo who are worth considering.

Q: Any free agent tight ends you could see the Jags sign post-draft

A: Not really. It is a really thin group, so unless the Jaguars would be interested in adding Marcedes Lewis as a veteran voice and run-blocker, it doesn't seem like there are any options that can provide what the Jaguars don't have. The best option for the Jaguars is to utilize the depth of this tight end class and add a mid-round option who they can develop on a cheap deal behind Evan Engram and Luke Farrell.

Q: Any clue what order the Jags rank the Smith, Branch, Torrence trio (I hope it’s in that order)? Plus who’s one higher ranked player the Jaguars may have interest in that could fall, and another outside of the “2-3” they would take in the event all 3 are gone?

A: I am not sure that is the Jaguars' preferred group of options at No. 24, but I do think those are the three names who make the most sense. Knowing the traits the Jaguars have seemed to value in past prospects, I would guess the list would go Smith, Torrence, Branch. 

One other player I think the Jaguars could have interest in if he makes it to No. 24? Lukas Van Ness is the obvious name, but I will go with Maryland's Deonte Banks. There is a lot of smoke around his name in regards to the Jaguars. They seem interested, and he would give them versatility and upside to fill out the secondary. 

Other prospects I think they could take at No. 24 if these options are gone: Oklahoma tackle Anton Harrison, Michigan defensive lineman Mazi Smith. Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee, and South Carolina defensive back Cam Smith.

Q: If you had to rank the AFC South teams in terms of them doing something horrifically crazy during the draft, how would you rank them?

A: Houston, Indianapolis, Tennessee.

One of these teams is going to draft Will Levis -- I feel confident about that. But that truly dumbest scenario possible belongs to the Texans, who could take a defender at No. 2 and then use the No. 12 pick on the draft's No. 4 or No. 5 quarterback, which could be Hendon Hooker. The Colts' actually seemed prime to land a solid quarterback prospect at four, so I would put all of this on Houston.

Q: What positions apart from QB do you think the Jags are most likely not to take in the first 2 rounds?

A: Off-ball linebacker and wide receiver. The Jaguars have done a lot of homework on the Day 3 receiver group, but it would be a relative shock to the system if they took a wide receiver in the first two rounds since they already have their top-five pass-catchers locked in on the roster. As for off-ball linebacker, the Jaguars have seemingly shown little to zero interest in the position group after drafting two linebackers in 2022 in Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma. It would make little sense for the Jaguars to use a top-100 pick on either position. 

Q: It seems quite clear by now that there are fewer players with first round grades on them this year than normal. To what do you attribute this to?

A: Part of it likely has to do with how many players declared early in recent years due to the COVID-19 seasons. You are now seeing the players who stayed in school longer be pushed to the forefront, whereas in most classes it is the underclassmen who headline the class.

Overall though, this just isn't a top-heavy class. There are plenty of good football players in it, but it is much stronger on Day 2 and Day 3 than the first round. In terms of non-quarterbacks, it is hard for me to say there are 20 prospects in this class who I would give a first-round pick to. 2013 was a similar season, though this year's class has more depth.

Q: If the Jags draft Nolan Smith, how do you predict they use him? By sliding Travon inside on third down (or even more often)?

A: Yes, yes and yes. Listen, Travon Walker can and likely will still be a good edge rusher, but having him stand up in a two-point stance outside the tackle for 50 snaps a game is a waste of his skill-set. He is best used as a battering ram who can line up in multiple positions along the defensive line, and a true outside linebacker like Nolan Smith would allow him to do just that.

Q: When I look at what position(s) we might draft in the first three rounds, I keep wondering... do we need to fix the pass rush to help the secondary? Or do we need to fix the secondary to help the pass rush?

A: I think the answer to this question is that last year, the Jaguars needed to fix the secondary to help the pass-rush. The pressure numbers were high last year but the sack numbers were low, which means quarterbacks were usually able to get the ball off quickly because the secondary wasn't able to hold up long enough for the rush to hit home.

Right now, though? The Jaguars need to fix both. Arden Key was a legit loss, and it is going a bit under the radar right now just how much juice the Jaguars are losing from his departure and Dawuane Smoot's injury.