Jaguars' 2023 Draft Class Earns a 'B' After Rookie Season

The Jacksonville Jaguars had an uneven 2023 season, and the only way back to the playoffs is through improving in the draft.

That doesn't just mean in the 2024 draft, either. The development of the 2023 draft class is paramount, with 11 of the team's 13 picks entering the offseason on the Jaguars' 90-man offseason roster.

As such, it is encouraging that the Jaguars have earned some high praises following the season for their draft class -- specifically from NFL.com's Chad Reuter.

When assessing the Jaguars' rookie class, which can be found below, Reuter gave the Jaguars' a B grade: the second-best in the AFC South, behind a clear winner in the Houston Texans.

Round 1 (No. 27 overall) — Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma
Round 2 (61) — Brenton Strange, TE, Penn State
Round 3 (88) — Tank Bigsby, RB, Auburn
Round 4 (121, from Buccaneers) — Ventrell Miller, LB, Florida
Round 4 (130, from Bills) — Tyler Lacy, DL, Oklahoma State
Round 5 (136, from Bears) — Yasir Abdullah, OLB, Louisville
Round 5 (160, from Giants) — Antonio Johnson, DB, Texas A&M
Round 6 (185, from Jets) — Parker Washington, WR, Penn State
Round 6 (202) — Christian Braswell, CB, Rutgers
Round 6 (208, from Eagles) — Erick Hallett II, S, Pittsburgh
Round 7 (226, from Panthers) — Cooper Hodges, OL, Appalachian State
Round 7 (227, from Saints) — Raymond Vohasek, DL, North Carolina
Round 7 (240, from Ravens through Giants) — Derek Parish, FB, Houston

Most of the praise predictably came for rookie right tackle Anton Harrison, who started all 17 games at right tackle and ended the season as the most efficient pass-protector among all rookie tackles.

"The Jaguars should be able to bank on Harrison manning the right tackle spot for the next few seasons. He struggled a bit at the beginning of the year but improved as the season went on and looks the part of a solid starter," Reuter said. "Finding a reliable tackle was crucial, because the makeup of the rest of Jacksonville's offensive line for 2024 is a bit murky, with Cam Robinson ($21.2 million cap hit in 2024) being a potential cap casualty, Walker Little lacking a set starting position and more bodies required in the middle."

It is the Jaguars' other picks that have drawn previous criticism, specifically their Day 2 selection of depth options in Brenton Strange and Tank Bigsby. With that said, Reuter seems to have an optimistic outlook on each selection, keeping the Jaguars' grade high.

"The team's Day 2 selections contributed as reserves. Bigsby only logged 50 rushing attempts for 132 yards and one reception for 6 yards on the year because Travis Etienne carried the load. Tank should play a larger role if the team's rushing attack becomes more efficient in 2024. Strange caught five passes for 35 yards and a score, playing a lot of snaps early in the year before a foot injury limited his effectiveness. He and Evan Engram should become a strong one-two punch next season," Reuter said.

"Miller's rookie year was over before it started, thanks to an Achilles injury he suffered in the preseason finale. Lacy and Johnson flashed as rookies, portending greater contributions in Year 2. Washington finally got on the field in Week 4 but suffered an injury on a punt return. Later in the year, he scored in consecutive games, and then his snaps tailed off again -- watch for a breakout from him in 2024. The team did not get contributions from its other late-round picks. Cooks was mostly a special teamer, though he did nab three catches for 38 yards against the Bucs in Week 16."