Regaining Favor – Jacksonville Jaguars 2024 Draft Profile

At the beginning of the 2023-24 NFL season you would’ve been hard-pressed to find an outlet that didn’t have the Jacksonville Jaguars favored to win the AFC South. Fast forward a year later and the Jags are now trying to regain their footing after a disappointing campaign.

Doug Pederson will now look to the draft to re-tool his roster and thrust his team back into the contender category.

 

Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo

Roman Wilson, WR, Michigan

Karsen Barnhart, OL, Michigan

 

Jacksonville has to get younger in their defensive secondary, and after releasing Darius Williams (30) and Rayshawn Jenkins (31) the cornerback position should be the main target in round one.

Quinyon Mitchell may be the best man cover corner in the draft. His elite skill set and prototypical build will make his transition to the next level seamless. Mitchell has long arms that allow him to disrupt routes at the point of attack, and loose hips to turn and run with speed receivers. He has exhibited good recovery speed with long strides that permit him to play underneath deep routes with great ease.

Adding a player like this would give the Jaguars a lockdown corner and a youth infusion into their secondary.

The next wave of picks should be offense focused as the Jaguars will have some holes to fill on that side. The two biggest positions of need are interior offensive line and receiver, respectively.

Jacksonville will have their choice of multiple prospects, but adding speed to the receiving corps is hard to pass on. Roman Wilson is one of the fastest receivers in the draft and routinely gets open against man coverage. He has a hard-nosed mentality, showing the willingness to block in the run game despite his smaller frame. With Calvin Ridley seemingly on the outs, Wilson could find himself being playing a large role in this Doug Pederson led offense.

Protecting Trevor Lawrence is next on the docket, and the interior offensive line is the weak link of this Jaguars front.

Karsen Barnhart is a former member of one of the most decorated offensive lines in college football. His ability to play either guard spot and both tackle spots is invaluable at the pro level. Barnhart has a nastiness about him that allows him to erase opposing defenders from plays. He possesses solid athleticism that will allow him to play in any scheme and has a good technical foundation.

Being able to get this kind of talent in the mid rounds would round out the Jaguars’ offensive line, and provide depth in case of injury.

The odds may not be in Jacksonville’s favor as of now, but with a good draft class those tables could turn. April will be a chance for them to solidify a talented roster and firmly plant themselves atop what is a crucible of an AFC South Division.