NFL Draft 2021: 5 prospects Jacksonville Jaguars should consider with their first five picks
The Jacksonville Jaguars will have the most exciting hand at the 2021 NFL Draft on April 27, which is fine fortune: the Jaguars finished bottom of the AFC South with a 1-15 record, and new coach Urban Meyer's first task down in Florida will be to overhaul the roster.
Shining lights on the Jaguars team last season: running back James Robinson ran for over 1,000-yards in his rookie year; Lavishka Shenault Jr. looked like a decent receiver; Brandon Linder and Andrew Norwell look great on the interior offensive line; cornerback CJ Henderson showed glimpses of promise in coverage before he got injured, and defensive stalwart Myles Jack is still some player when fit.
Besides that, the Jaguars needed upgrades across the roster, so this was a fun Mock Draft to do!
2021 NFL Draft: Top five prospects the Jacksonville Jaguars should pursue
Jacksonville currently owns five picks in the top 65 in the 2021 NFL Draft. Here's their complete list of draft picks as they stand:
- First-round: No.1 & No.25
- Second-round: No.33 & No.45
- Third-round: No.65
- Third-round: No.106 & No.130
- Fourth-round: No.145 & No. 170
- Fifth-round: No. 249
Take a look at the potential first five picks for the Jacksonville Jaguars in this year's draft.
#1 - Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
It seems there isn't a human alive who doesn't expect the Jacksonville Jaguars to pluck for Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence with their No.1 overall pick in this year's 2021 NFL Draft, and I'm not going to be the one to buck the trend.
The 6"2, 21-year-old looked excellent at his pro-day event two weeks ago, cementing his position as the consensus top pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
Lawrence finished up his last college season with 3,153 passing yards, 24 TD passes and just five interceptions. His height gives him an extra presence in the pocket and enables him to drop balls into spaces that others can't reach. Lawrence tends to remain poised under pressure; can play safe football but has the propensity and arm required to launch the ball downfield for huge chunks and scores when required.
Lawrence looks every bit like the NFL franchise quarterback in the making and surely has to be the first pick for Jacksonville in the 2021 NFL Draft.
#2 - Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
The Jaguars need a new TE, so I traded up in the draft to make this selection.
I offered the Atlanta Falcons Jacksonville's first-round, No.25; fifth-round, No. 130, and a 2022 second-round pick to muscle in ahead of a reportedly very interested Jerry Jones at Dallas and take the best TE on the board, Kyle Pitts.
The Florida star had a superb college career: combining the strength of a TE with the speed of a receiver -- much in the vein of the Las Vegas Raider, Darren Waller -- Pitts amassed 770-yards and 12 TDs for the Gators in 2020.
Incoming QB Trevor Lawrence needs quality targets to aim at, so why not trade up and get the consensus agreed best option available in Pitts? It's a no-brainer if you ask me.
#3 - Walker Little, OT, Stanford
Stanford star Walter Little was the best OT available on the board at No. 33.
Most draft lists have the 325 lbs lineman ranked at number three in the position, so I felt this was a decent time to steal in and strengthen the Jaguars' front four/five.
TheDraftNetwork writes of Little:
"Walker Little aligned at left tackle for the Cardinal offense. He is a big, strong prospect with excellent length and prototypical NFL size. He has excellent range, which makes him ideally suited to play on the edge. He plays with good athleticism overall, as evidenced by his fluid pass set and his ability to laterally redirect inside. He also demonstrates excellent latch strength in his hands. He will compete as a run blocker but doesn’t generate much vertical movement. He plays with vision and instincts to easily identify twists and stunts. Little suffered a knee injury in September of 2019 and hasn't played since after also opting out of 2020."
The Jags' interior OL is in safe hands with Norwell and Linder; adding Little to the edge to help protect the perimeter could take the line to another level, which would be great news for Trevor Lawrence first and foremost (the Jaguars OL was ranked 22nd in the NFL last season).
#4 - Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue
I went a bit off the beaten track on this pick and took the best player available on the board at No. 45.
Trevor Lawrence needs to be surrounded by weapons, and Rondale Moore looks set to be a treat to watch once he reaches the NFL come autumn: the diminutive, hard-running receiver has been likened to the 49ers' Deebo Samuel.
Moore needs to learn to take better care of himself: once in possession, the Purdue wideout's full-throttle running style has all too often led to injury. As a result, Moore missed out on too much football in 2019 & 2020. But when fit, Moore is about as exciting a receiver as there is in the 2021 Draft class, as evidenced by his 1,258-yards and 12 TDs in 2018 for Purdue.
#5 - Elijah Molden, S, Washington
Elijah Molden is the third-fourth highest ranked safety on most PFF lists, and the Washington man looks set to be a quality slot corner once he's drafted into the NFL.
At just 5"8, Molden is a small safety, but he makes up for it with his fierce tackling and excellent coverage skills. Molden earned coverage grades of 90.9 in 2019 and 86.2 in 2020.
Molden has a reputation for being a bit of a ballhawk too, having registered several interceptions and pass breakups during his college career.
The PFF ranked the Jaguars pass-coverage 30th in the NFL in 2020, so Molden is in at safety to address the clear and obvious need there that makes perfect sense.
Also Read: Complete 2020 NFL Draft Results
What do you think of our picks? Sound off in the comments section below: