2024 NFL Draft Rumors: ‘Jaguars Have Explored Moving Up’ and Done Homework on Top WRs

According to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, the Jaguars have done their homework on the top receivers in the class and have even considering a trade-up.

Tigers reciever Malik Nabers 8 runs the ball as the LSU Tigers take on Georgia State in Tiger / SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA

It is officially draft week.

In just a few short days, the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft will kickoff and the futures of all 32 teams will change and take shape.

For the Jacksonville Jaguars, could that future involve a blockbuster trade for a No. 1 wide receiver? Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer suggests it could.

"The Jaguars have explored moving up—and they’ve done a lot of work on the top receivers in the draft," Breer said.

"Losing Calvin Ridley, even with Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis paid, makes that spot a priority. Failing that, corner, if either Arnold or Mitchell are available here, shapes up as a possibility, too. Another would be a disruptive defensive tackle for new DC Ryan Nielsen’s scheme—maybe Murphy, if he slides a bit, or Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton (who’s coming off a foot fracture)."

The top wide receivers in the draft include the likes of Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr., Washington's Rome Odunze, and LSU's Malik Nabers. Nabers has been commonly linked to the Jaguars, with team sources indicating to Jaguar Report this offseason that the Jaguars are extremely high on the SEC standout.

“I think it’s a very good group of receivers, obviously. I think those three that everybody is talking about are really good football players," Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said last week.

"I think there’s some guys in the next wave that are really good football players, too. I think there’s good players like that all the way through the draft in that position. There’s going to be some later round guys that make a mark for themselves at some point in their careers in this league as well. It’s a good group, there’s a lot of variations of guys, guys strictly in the slot, guys strictly out on the perimeter. There are some guys that can move around the formations a little bit more. It’s a good group of receivers.”

Baalke has traded up just three times in his career with the Jaguars. Only one such occurrence happened in the first round, with Baalke trading up to No. 27 to select linebacker Devin Lloyd during the 2022 NFL Draft.

“Well, if you talk to the analytics people, they’ll tell you never move up. Acquire as many darts as you can, keep moving back. You just got to look at the board and let the board speak," Baalke said.

"We spent 360-something days putting this thing together and to try to make something happen and force something to happen, sometimes backfires on you. You chase something and it doesn’t pan out, so you lose out there and then you lose out on the guy you would’ve picked and the two guys you would’ve picked with the other picks you gave up. If you’re going to move up, you better be right.”