Jaguars Fans Ranked Among the Most Optimistic Ahead of 2023 NFL Draft
The NFL Draft has not always been kind to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Few teams picked in the top-10 as much as the Jaguars over the last decade-plus, but the Jaguars had their fair share of first-round busts until 2021.
In the last two years, though, the Jaguars' drafting skills have changed the level of hope and optimism ahead of the draft. Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne, Tyson Campbell, Walker Little, and Andre Cisco have all stood out from the 2021 draft class, while the 2022 class had enough early returns to get excited.
As a result, the Jaguars are on the right track. They are picking No. 24 overall this year instead of No. 1 as they did in 2021 and 2022. And now, fans are as positive as ever.
In a survey from Sportsbook Review of over 3,000 fans, the Jaguars ranked as one of the most optimistic fanbases in football.
The Jaguars ranked just outside the top five, coming in at No. 6 behind the Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions, and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
For comparison, the Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, and Houston Texans all ranked in the back half of the rankings, meaning the Jaguars have the most optimistic AFC South outlook.
"Jaguars fans are a relatively confident bunch – and who could blame them, really? They've added a whopping seven regular starters in their past two drafts – and while having the No. 1 pick in consecutive years helps, the Jacksonville front office deserves plenty of credit for finding capable players in the middle rounds, as well," James Bisson, Editor-In-Chief at Sportsbook Review, said.
"This isn't a recent trend, either, which is why you should expect to see the Jaguars at or near the top of this list annually. Jacksonville has added three or more players who became primary starters at their position every year since 2011 – a stunning track record of draft success that few franchises in the NFL can match."
For the Jaguars, their nine picks in next week's draft are as follows:
- 1st: No. 24
- 2nd: No. 56
- 3rd: No. 88
- 4th: No. 121 (via TB), No. 127
- 5th:
- 6th: No. 185 (via NYJ), No. 202, No. 208 (via PHI)
- 7th: No. 226 (via CAR)
The only round the Jaguars do not have a pick in is the fifth round, with the Jaguars giving up that selection in last fall's Calvin Ridley trade. Otherwise, the Jaguars have multiple picks in rounds four, six and seven, with three picks in the sixth round alone.
