2024 NFL Draft: The Athletic Mocks a Best-Case Scenario For Jaguars
The 2024 NFL Draft is set to be a big one for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jacksonville is equipped with nine picks in April's draft, with extra picks in the fourth and sixth rounds. And after a disappointing 9-8 campaign in 2023, the Jaguars will need to make the best use of those picks.
As such, we will keep up with major mock drafts from draft experts throughout the offseason.
This time around, we take a look at the latest mock draft projection from The Athletic, with each Athletic beat reporter taking part in wheeling and dealing with their selections and more.
Who do the Jaguars get at No. 17 overall and what do we think of the selection?
Round 1, No. 17: Alabama CB Terrion Arnold
Simply put, this would be an A+ pick for the Jaguars. The Jaguars have two clear present needs for the No. 17 overall pick at cornerback and offensive line, and there is a good chance Alabama's Terrion Arnold is the top realistic option at either position. There is a near-zero chance the draft's top two tackles fall to No. 17, but if the draft's top cornerback does? Then the Jaguars can officially call it a boon.
"Jacksonville has bigger needs in the trenches on offense and defense, but Arnold, Brugler’s No. 1 cornerback and No. 10 player, was too good to pass up. And the Jaguars could need a cornerback if Darious Williams is cut in a cap-savings move," The Athletic said.
"Arnold was a playmaking machine at Alabama (SEC-best 17 passes defended and five INTs in 2023), which makes him a good replacement for Williams and a great long-term partner for Tyson Campbell. Remember: If the Jaguars want to reclaim the AFC South, they’ll have to figure out a way to stop Houston’s C.J. Stroud. Creating a formidable, young secondary is a great way to do that."
The key for the Jaguars in this event is for there to be a run on quarterbacks. If four quarterbacks go in the top-16 picks, like is projected here, the Jaguars will likely have a starting cornerback or offensive lineman fall to them with ease.
The Jaguars have to figure out the present standing of their cornerback room before they devote major resources to it, but there are enough long-term questions to consider a cornerback as well. Darious Williams and Tyson Campbell are both entering contract years, and the only current cornerback projected to be under contract in 2025 are Montaric Brown and Christian Braswell.
Plus, it sure seems like defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen thinks cornerback is a potential major need.
“Rush and coverage. We have to be multiple, the first thing we have to do is affect the quarterback in that we can’t allow the ball to come out of his hand quickly, then the rush doesn’t get there," Nielsen said earlier this month.
"If the coverage has holes in it or give an easy throw, it doesn’t matter who we’ve got coming off the edge. We’ve got a couple of good edge guys here. We have to get the quarterback to hold it."
