Jaguars Currently Projected to Hold No. 3 and No. 23 Picks in 2021 NFL Draft
With Week 7 now in the books, the Jacksonville Jaguars have moved up a bit in the projected order for the 2021 NFL Draft.
Following Jacksonville's 39-29 loss to the Chargers on Sunday, the Jaguars' record dropped to 1-6 and sent the team higher up on the projected draft order. According to Tankathon, the Jaguars are set to hold the No. 3 and No. 23 overall selections in the first round of next year's draft.
It should be noted of course that Tankathon uses the projected strength of schedule of the entire season instead of just the games played thus far, which would explain why the Jaguars pick higher here than on other projections that only look at the opponents played to this point.
The Jaguars have held the No. 3 overall pick just twice since the team's first draft in 1995. This occurred in back-to-back years, with the Jaguars selecting quarterback Blake Bortles (2014) and defensive end Dante Fowler (2015) with the third pick.
As for the No. 23 overall pick, the Jaguars would hold that as a result of the Jalen Ramsey trade. The Jaguars gained two first-round picks from the trade, one of which was used to select K'Lavon Chaisson No. 20 overall last season.
The two teams projected to pick in front of the Jaguars are the 0-7 New York Jets and the 1-6 New York Giants. The Giants have been a much more competitive team this season than the Jets and should be expected to pick up at least one more win.
But for the Jaguars, their second-half schedule is one of the most brutal in the entire league. They are set to play projected playoff teams in the Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers. Considering the tough slate they have on deck, the Jaguars could have a strong chance to pick within the first several selections of the draft.
If the Jaguars land a top-3 pick, then a quarterback should be the expectation. Clemson's Trevor Lawrence is the hands-down favorite to be picked No. 1 overall, while Ohio State's Justin Fields and North Dakota State University's Trey Lance are other passers likely to be drafted in the first round.
