NFL Mock Draft: Jaguars Take Surprising Swing at Stud DL

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a lot of team needs and only one pick in the first round. The fifth overall pick will be the first made under new general manager James Gladstone, and it could shape the team's trajectory for many years to come.

The pressure is on as they have to yield something from a year in which they only won four games. They missed out on their window to compete while Trevor Lawrence was on his rookie deal. Now he's being paid like one of the best quarterbacks in the league, with little to show for it.

This one selection isn't going to fix their time in its entirety, but it has to be a player that comes into the league and is productive for them on day one. Anything less than that will result in another season where Duval County has little to root for.

Kyle Crabbs, who is a sports writer for The 33rd Team, published his mock draft post combine, and he has the Jaguars making a risky move. He believes they should draft Kenneth Grant, the defensive lineman out of the University of Michigan.

"The first big surprise of the draft! Save your Trent Baalke jokes — but Jacksonville lands a monster prototype to play in the trenches with this pick of Kenneth Grant.

We did not see either Michigan defensive tackle work out at the Combine, but you can be rest assured the Michigan pro day is going to have fireworks in store for the supersized Grant.

Jacksonville could certainly use his elite run defense, but don't sleep on his pass rush potential long-term, either".

In 2024, Grant had 32 total tackles with three sacks and five passes defended. The only player to get double-digit sacks for the Jaguars was Travon Walker. Josh Hines-Allen had a productive season for them with eight sacks, but after that, it's a steep dropoff.

Grant is such a risky selection because his teammate Mason Graham is the consensus better prospect. However, neither of them tested at the combine, so it's not that insane to say that Grant could be the better prospect in the end.

One thing is for sure: they need to draft someone who could help out their defense, which was one of the worst in the league last year. They could also look to draft a wide receiver or pursue one in free agency. To help out with their defense, they can also target a cornerback in free agency.

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