Why PFF Thinks Javon Foster Was the Jaguars' Best Draft Pick

Could the fourth round offensive lineman end up the best player from the Jaguars' 2024 class?

Mar 3, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Missouri offensive lineman Javon Foster (OL22) during the 2024 / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

When a team makes nine draft picks like the Jacksonville Jaguars did in this year's NFL Draft, it can be hard for some to find a favorite or a top pick.

But that is exactly the mission Pro Football Focus set out on for each NFL's draft class. And in this occasion, it wasn't a first-round or a top-100 pick who received the honors for the Jaguars.

Instead, it was fourth round offensive tackle Javon Foster, the Jaguars' fourth selection and the No. 114 pick overall.

"The Jaguars took fliers on some higher-ceiling athletes with their first three picks of the draft, but their fourth pick might have been my favorite: Javon Foster," PFF's Trevor Sikkema said. "Foster isn’t the elite-caliber athlete to garner a top-100 selection, but he started for three years in the SEC and consistently earned grades above 80.0 in all three campaigns. If the Jaguars ever have an injury to one of their starting offensive tackles, he is a great “next man up” to throw into the lineup. That depth is key."

Foster was named a 2023 First-Team All-SEC and Third-Team All-American after 13 starts at left tackle.

Foster enrolled in school in 2018 before taking a redshirt year; he then appeared in two games in 2019 before making two starts at right tackle in 2020. In 2021 and 2022, Foster started 26 games at left tackle, ending his career with 39 starts at left tackle and two at right tackle.

"Well we view him as swing tackle, a guy that can play left and right. He played primarily on the left side in college obviously but went to the Senior Bowl and proved he could line up on the right side," Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said after the conclussion of the draft.

"You start him out in a swing position. That's for the coaches to settle in on what his role is going to be. But really like the size, the length, two-time captain, leader in the SEC, 31 game starter, a lot of things that played into the pick.”