Anonymous Coach: ‘Worst Kept Secret’ Doug Pederson Wants Offensive Player at No. 1
It has been widely assumed since the Jacksonville Jaguars franchise-tagged left tackle Cam Robinson last month that the team is primed to select an edge rusher at No. 1 overall on April 28.
But is that the move head coach Doug Pederson truly wants to pull the trigger on? According to FanSided's Matt Lombardo, there is one AFC coach who believes it is widely known that Pederson wants to pick an offensive player with the draft's top pick.
“They could easily go pass-rusher, but it’s the worst kept secret that Doug Pederson wants to go offense with that pick," an anonymous AFC coach told Lombardo.
"The problem is, I’m not sure there’s a No. 1 overall offensive tackle in this class, let alone one worth the No. 1 overall pick."
Does this mean much for the No. 1 overall pick? Considering the pick will be an organizational decision that is based on collaboration between Pederson, general manager Trent Baalke and the coaching staff, it doesn't mean that Pederson's potential wish for an offensive player at No. 1 means the Jaguars will go in that direction.
With this in mind, there are a few offensive players who make sense with the top pick: North Carolina State's Ikem Ekwonu and Alabama's Evan Neal are two of the highest-rated prospects in the entire class and each could play left guard as a rookie before moving to either left or right tackle in the future.
The Jaguars also had one of the worst offenses in the entire NFL last year, a result that was largely due to the team's lack of offensive talent. Most of the Jaguars' recent first-round picks have come on the defensive side of the ball, with Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne, and Leonard Fournette as the only exceptions since 2015.
Considering the year Lawrence had on a bad Jaguars' offense, it wouldn't be surprising if an offensive-minded coach like Pederson would want to add an offensive player at No. 1 to set his quarterback up for success.
"You know, the decisions to bring guys like Cam back are to protect your quarterback, you know. It has nothing to do with the draft and we want those guys to be you know, we want that offensive line to be solidified," Pederson said last month at the annual league meeting.
"We want guys up there that have been around. Cam was is a big part of that and is going to be a big part of that. So we were excited to obviously retain him. But as it pertains to the draft, you know, that's kind of its own separate deal right now."
The Jaguars hold 12 picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, including four selections in the first 70 picks.
- Round 1, No. 1 overall
- Round 2, No. 33 overall
- Round 3, No. 65 overall
- Round 3, No. 70 overall (via Carolina)
- Round 4, No. 106 overall
- Round 5, No. 157 overall (via Minnesota)
- Round 6, No, 180 overall
- Round 6, No. 188 overall (via Seattle)
- Round 6, No. 198 overall (via Philadelphia)
- Round 6, No. 199 overall (via Pittsburgh)
- Round 7, No. 223 overall
- Round 7, No. 236 overall (via Baltimore)
