2021 NFL Draft: Jaguars GM Trent Baalke in Attendance at Alabama’s Pro Day

Trent Baalke has been given the nod by the Jaguars to be present at Alabama's pro day, one of the most significant pro days any NFL team will view this spring.

The pro day circuit is continuing for the 2021 NFL Draft process, and the Jacksonville Jaguars are continuing to make sure they are in attendance for the top workouts ahead of April 29. 

While Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer was the figurehead on hand at Trevor Lawrence's pro day last month (along with offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and passing game coordinator Brian Schottenheimer), it is general manager Trent Baalke who is in attendance for Alabama's star-studded pro day.

GMs, coaches spotted at Alabama pro day, just a few among many:

TENN GM Jon Robinson
TENN HC Mike Vrabel
PITT GM Kevin Colbert
JAX GM Trent Baalke
DAL DC Dan Quinn

— Chase Goodbread (@ChaseGoodbread) March 23, 2021

Due to this year's NFL Scouting Combine being canceled, there has never been a bigger emphasis on pro days than in 2021. This is the only chance for prospects to do official athletic testing and measurements in front of scouts, coaches, and executives, and gives NFL teams one more chance to see them operate in person. 

Many of Alabama's top prospects, such as Jaylen Waddle and Dylan Moses, won't be working out, but the Jaguars will still have a chance to get information on players such as Christian Barmore and Alex Leatherwood. 

"I  think it’s our job to know every individual that’s entering the draft and we’ve had a lot of zoom calls internally with various departments, our scouting staff, our coaching staff, our player assessment staff," Baalke said on March 10. 

"We’ve had a lot of different people reaching to players, and that’s only going to pick up pace as we go down the road here. So, I think that’s an ongoing process and we’ll continue to use every means available to get to know these players as well as we can because it’s critical to the decision-making process.”

The Jaguars hold 10 picks in April's draft, including the No. 1 overall pick -- which is widely projected to be used to select Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The rest of the Jaguars' picks are as follows. 

• First round, 25th pick, No. 25 overall (from Los Angeles Rams)
• Second round, first pick, No. 33 overall
• Second round, 13th pick, No. 45 overall (from Minnesota Vikings)
• Third round, first pick, No. 65 overall
• Fourth round, first pick, No. 106 overall
• Fourth round, 25th pick, No. 130 overall (from Los Angeles Rams)
• Fifth round, first pick, No. 145 overall
• Fifth round, 26th overall, No. 170 overall (from Cleveland Browns)
• Seventh round, 22nd pick, No. 249 overall (from Tennessee Titans)

Baalke and Meyer have quite a bit of work to do to rebuild a Jaguars team that went 1-15 last season and is 12-36 in the last three years. They added 12 new players last week via free agency and trades, but more work is to be done in April to ensure they can field a competitive team. 

The simplest part of that equation will be how Baalke and the Jaguars use the first overall pick, though Baalke hasn't let that decision appear easy to those on the outside.

“Easy? I don’t know that that word exists in the National Football League," Baalke said at his introductory press conference on Jan. 21. 

"So it certainly puts you in the driver’s seat, but there are no easy decisions in the National Football League. You work through the process, you do the best job you can, and then you make the decision based on the knowledge that you’ve acquired.”