2024 NFL Draft: Could Rome Odunze Be a Jaguars' Trade Up Target?
The Jacksonville Jaguars haven't drafted a wide receiver in the first round since 2012. Could that change this season?
At first sight, the Jaguars don't seem like an obvious team for a first-round receiver due to the returns of Christian Kirk and Zay Jones and the potential re-signing of Calvin Ridley.
But this week at the NFL Scouting Combine, the Jaguars did their homework on one of the draft's top wide receivers in Washington's Rome Odunze, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
"So let's take a look at some of the teams that he met with. The Patriots, the Cardinals, the Giants, the Titans, and the Bears are among the intriguing ones to me guys because those are all the top 10 teams," Rapoport said.
"Also spent some time with the Colts, the Jaguars, the Rams, and the Steelers. The reason why those are interesting is those would be potential trade up teams. Rarely do you see a huge trade up for receiver But not never. Obviously that is something to keep an eye on."
The Jaguars also met with LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. at the combine, which gives them meetings with two of the draft's top wideouts.
Odunze, however, has widely been projected as a top-10 pick. It seems unlikely he would slide to the Jaguars at No. 17 overall, so any potential move to acquire him would mean moving up likely at least seven spots.
Wide receiver has been a frequent target of first round trade ups in recent years, so there is some precedence. The most recent such moves were the New Orleans Saints moving up from No. 16 to No. 11 for Chris Olave, sending the No. 16, No. 98 and No. 120 picks to the Colts. The Detroit Lions also traded up for Jameson Williams in the same draft.
Whether the Jaguars could trade into the top-10 for Odunze could depend on the future of Ridley, though perhaps the Jaguars would go all-in on surrounding Trevor Lawrence with weapons even if Ridley returns. Jones is in a contract year, after all.
In 15 games last year, Odunze caught 92 passes for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns, proving to be a focal point of one of the best offenses in college football.
Odunze is the real deal and would likely be the top wideout in many draft classes. This year, though, he shares a class with other alpha dog receivers such as Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers.
The Jaguars have to factor in the depth of the wide receiver depth class in the event they do want to make a move for Odunze. They would also have to factor in the fact that some teams could have Odunze as the No. 1 receiver on the board.
In short ... this could be one to watch over the next 50+ days, no matter the resolution of the Ridley situation.
