How Daniel Jeremiah Would Attack the Jaguars’ 2023 Draft

The Jacksonville Jaguars are in an interesting position when it comes to the NFL Draft.

The team currently holds the 24th, 56th, and 88th picks, later picks in the first three rounds as a result of their 2022 team success, but still have a multitude of different needs to fill.

Offensive and defensive tackle, cornerback, safety, and a secondary tight end are all positions the Jaguars will be looking to fill. The question that is being asked is which side of the ball should be addressed early.

If it was up to NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah, the focus would be on the defensive side of the ball.

“To me, I think right now the defensive needs cry out especially, you know, just more pass rushers, the ability to improve on third down, they [Jacksonville Jaguars] were 29th in third down last year, so you know, more corners, more pass rushers,” Jeremiah said on Friday during a pre-combine Zoom call with media.

“I would probably be leaning more in that direction, even with their second pick as well. 24 and 56. I think you can find a tight end and a wideout a little bit later in the draft, just kind of, you know, maybe more of a niche player to come in there and fill in around what you already have, but I would be leaning defense early.”

Jeremiah based his assessment off the improvement of Trevor Lawrence, who he believes turned a corner last season and showcased who he is at the NFL level.

“Well, you know, I’m always a proponent of giving the young quarterbacks as much help as much as they can early on in their careers as they can develop their confidence,” Jeremiah said.

“And then once they become who they are, you can afford to maybe cut some corners around them and allocate your resources to the other side of the ball. Having a front row seat at that playoff game when they’re down 27 nothing and watching them come back and make it happen. I think he [Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence] might have turned that corner already, so I’m not going to worry too much about what he has. I think he’s got a pretty decent group around him now, you can continue to sprinkle it in.”

With Lawrence establishing himself as “the guy,” the Jacksonville Jaguars have flexibility on how they want to attack the 2023 NFL Draft. If it were up to Jeremiah, that focus would be on a Jaguars defense that still has holes that needs filling if it expects improvement in the 2023 season.