2022 NFL Draft: 5 Observations on Jaguars' List of Prospect Visits Thus Far
The Jacksonville Jaguars are just a few weeks away from one of the most important drafts in franchise history.
Last year, the Jaguars found their franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence. Now, they will need to ensure they can support Lawrence via the draft after a 3-14 season in 2021 in which the front office and former coaching staff failed to put the right kind of environment around Lawrence.
One of t*he most important things to track for the Jaguars and all 32 NFL franchises ahead of the draft, which kicks off on April 28, is pre-draft visits. Each team is allowed up to 30 prospect visits to their own facilities, which doesn't include prospects from local schools (such as Florida for the Jaguars).
The Jaguars so far have had 15 players in for confirmed visits: Michigan EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, Georgia EDGE Travon Walker, NC State OL Ikem Ekwonu, Alabama OL Evan Neal, Louisiana FS Percy Butler, Colorado State TE Trey McBride, Florida DL Zachary Carter, Tulsa OL Tyler Smith, Penn State OL Rasheed Walker, Georgia LB Quay Walker, Alabama LB Christian Harris, LSU CB Derek Stingley Jr., LSU RB Tyrion Davis-Price, Michigan RB Hassan Haskins, and Oklahoma DL Perrion Winfrey.
But what does this group of visits mean for the Jaguars and what does it say about their plans later this month? We offer a few thoughts below.
Breaking down the numbers
The Jaguars will clearly add more players to this list by the time the first-round rolls around, but here is how the numbers shake out on the players the Jaguars have talked to so far?
- Four OL
Two EDGE
- Two LB
- Two DL
- Two RBs
- One TE
- One S
- One CB
This list will still grow by at least 15 players if the Jaguars use all of their allocated visits, but the current group says a lot about the Jaguars' pre-draft needs. The Jaguars are looking at pass-rushers at the top of the draft, have big interests in adding offensive linemen, linebackers, running backs, and defensive linemen, and know they still have needs in the secondary and at tight end.
So far, the only positions the Jaguars haven't brought in prospects for a visit are at quarterback, wide receiver, punter, kicker, and guard depending on the team's evaluation of Ekwonu, Neal, Smith, and Walker.
Jaguars doing their due diligence on No. 1 overall pick without showing their hand
We wrote earlier this week that we consider the four players in the running for the No. 1 pick to be Aidan Hutchinson, Travon Walker, Evan Neal, and Ikem Ekwonu. As such, it is far from a surprise the Jaguars have visits with all four players, including having Hutchinson and Ekwonu in the building on the same day. While the Jaguars have likely decided weeks ago who they would take at No. 1, it is the smart thing for them to bring in a number of candidates.
For one, the Jaguars can ensure they don't show their hand at No. 1 overall. In the event a team wants to move up for a certain prospect, the Jaguars do not look like a team that is all-in on only one player. The draft is frequently a chess game between teams, and the Jaguars are making smart moves by ensuring they aren't telegraphing the top pick in a class that has no unanimous No. 1 prospect.
Secondly, the Jaguars are able to do their due diligence and prepare for all scenarios. They can't just assume they won't get an offer for the No. 1 pick even as late as the hour of the draft, even if they haven't received much interest for the pick to this point. The Jaguars need to prepare for all scenarios, and by having multiple top-5 prospects in the building they are doing just that.
Jaguars are clearly looking for a specific type of a running back
The two running backs the Jaguars have brought in for visits thus far show that Jacksonville is looking for a specific type of running back in this year's draft. That kind of running back is one who is a Day 3 selection as opposed to a Day 2 candidate, while they are also all in on bringing in a bigger, power-based running back as opposed to a smaller, shiftier type.
Michigan running back Hassan Haskins is 6-foot-2 (97th percentile) and 228 pounds (86th percentile) while LSU running back Tyrion Davis-Price is 6-foot-0 (72nd percentile) and 211 pounds (42nd percentile). Considering James Robinson is 5-foot-9 and 219 pounds and Travis Etienne is 5-foot-10 and 215-pounds, both Haskins and Price would give the Jaguars more height and overall larger frames. Each are downhill runners who are best at gashing defenses through the middle of the field as opposed to winning on the perimeter or through the air.
Jaguars showing great interest in Day 2 linebackers, offensive linemen
Two of the biggest needs on Jacksonville's roster are at linebacker and along the offensive line, specifically at left guard. The sweet spot for both positions looks to be at picks No. 33, 65 or 70 as well, which makes it interesting the Jaguars have shown significant interest in Day 2 types at both spots.
It is clear that Ekwonu and Neal are prospects who will go in the first round, but Tyler Smith is a likely second-round pick while Rasheed Walker looks like a third-rounder who has a chance to go even higher. The Jaguars still need to look at more natural guards (Walker is strictly a tackle, while Smith likely projects as one as well), but they have done their homework on Day 2 options along the offensive line.
The two linebackers the Jaguars have shown interest in -- Christian Harris and Quay Walker -- are also Day 2 prospects. It would be a shock if either fell out of the third-round, while there seems to be genuine momentum for Walker to go as early as the second round. They are options at No. 33 and No. 65.
No wide receiver visits so far; does it mean anything?
In a bit of a surprising development, the Jaguars haven't brought any wide receivers to TIAA Bank Field yet. They have shown interest in receivers such as Boise State's Khalil Shakir and Rutgers' Bo Melton at their pro days, but the Jaguars so far have brought in just zero pass-catchers outside of Trey McBride thus far.
So, does that mean anything? Yes and no. On one hand, the Jaguars still have half of their visits list they can arrange for receivers to fill up. There are still several weeks for the Jaguars to look at options such as Georgie Pickens, Christian Watson, Jalen Tolbert, Alec Pierce and more. Many teams don't care about tipping their hand via visits because they deem it more paramount to get as much information on prospects as possible, so the notion that the Jaguars are hiding interest wouldn't make any sense.
With that said, there is also a strong chance the Jaguars think they have solved their wide receiver problem via free agency. They added two starters in Christian Kirk and Zay Jones, as well as a tight end who is basically a wide receiver in Evan Engram. Add in Marvin Jones, Laviska Shenault, Jamal Agnew, and Laquan Treadwell and the Jaguars could convince themselves that wide receiver isn't as big of a need as fans and analysts think it is.
