FanNation NFL Mock Draft 2023: Who Do the Jaguars Select At No. 24?
In this year's annual FanNation mock draft, quarterbacks went flying off the board as surprise picks, reaches, and tumbles shook up the entire order.
The Jaguars have a number of positions they can address with the No. 24 pick, with the betting favorite being cornerback, followed by offensive line, defensive line, and tight end.
For the entire first-round mock, click here.
So, what did we do with the Jaguars' No. 24 overall pick?
The pick: OL Darnell Wright, Tennessee
Picking No. 24 overall was quite the shift from the last two years. After selecting No. 1 overall in 2021 and 2022, we saw 23 picks go off the board before we were on the clock.
Our main focus entering the draft was the land a pass-rusher, hoping one of Nolan Smith, Myles Murphy, or Lukas Van Ness would fall. Van Ness went to the Houston Texans at No. 12, though, while Smith and Murphy went back-to-back at No. 19 and No. 20 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks.
Cornerback was considered too, but Brian Branch's selection to the Washington Commanders at No. 16 and Deonte Banks going No. 17 to the Pittsburgh Steelers made this a stretch.
Instead, this pick came down to two players: Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright and Florida guard O'Cyrus Torrence. Ultimately, we leaned toward Wright with the selection, taking a top-15 talent at No. 24. Just in terms of pure value, Wright is a steal.
A West Virginia native, Wright was one of the top prospects in the class of 2019. Wright was ranked by 247Sports as the No. 1 recruit in West Virginia, the No. 2 offensive tackle in his class, and the No. 10 recruit in the nation.
Wright ultimately committed to Tennessee despite pulling in 22 other offers, including offers from Alabama, West Virginia, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Kentucky, Miami, LSU, Michigan State, North Carolina, Nebraska, Oregon, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Ohio State, USC, and Penn State.
Wright played right away at Tennessee, starting five games at right tackle and two games at right guard. Among these starts were contests against Georgia and Alabama, with Wright earning experience against elite defenses early in his career.
Wright started nine games at right tackle as a sophomore in 2020 before starting 13 games at left tackle in 2021. Wright led Tennessee's offense in snaps as a junior in a year in which Tennessee set school records for points scored and total offense.
Wright ultimately returned for his senior season, moving back to right tackle and starting all 13 games. Wright earned unanimous first-team All-SEC honors and was elected as a semifinalist for the Rotary Lombardi Award.
So, why Wright over Torrence? Due to positional value. While Torrence is the best pure guard in the class, Wright can play both tackle spots and guard in a pinch. A versatile tackle wins out over a guard every time.
With Jawaan Taylor leaving due to a big free-agency contract from the Kansas City Chiefs Wright could jump in and instantly replace him at right tackle. If the Jaguars trust Walke Little at right tackle, then Wright could start at left guard as a rookie before moving back to tackle in 2024.
