NFL Insider: ‘Every Team I Talk to Keeps Mocking DL to Jacksonville’

The Jacksonville Jaguars need pass-rushers, but how badly?

Over 24 hours before the 2023 NFL Draft, it truly feels like the Jacksonville Jaguars could do anything but take a quarterback.

For the first time in over a decade, the Jaguars are entering a draft without key holes along their starting depth charts. Sure the Jaguars have a few pressing needs that deserve priority, but the only starter from last year's AFC South championship team they have to replace is Jawaan Taylor. 

As such, it truly seems like nobody knows what the Jaguars are going to do at No. 24. Part of this obviously has to do with the fact that nobody knows exactly how the first 23 picks will play out, but the Jaguars' balanced roster construction plays a larger role.

With that said, there was one important pre-draft nugget dropped Wednesday, this time via CBS' Sports Jonathan Jones -- one of the most plugged-in national reporters when it comes to the Jaguars. 

In his final first round mock, Jones projects the Jaguars to take Clemson pass-rusher Myles Murphy at No. 24 overall, noting that a lot of his information suggests the Jaguars are trending toward taking a pass-rusher. 

"Every team I talk to keeps mocking defensive linemen to Jacksonville, so I send them the best one available," Jones said. 

It would make sense for the Jaguars to target pass-rush after losing Arden Key in free agency. Add in Dawuane Smoot being a free-agent who is coming off an Achilles injury, and there are a lot of question marks. 

A year after the Jaguars finished No. 26 in sacks and failed to sack an injured Patrick Mahomes once in their AFC Divisional Round loss, the Jaguars' pass rush has lost two of its most efficient rushers.

“From the coaching side, obviously, that’s an area we’ve got to improve. We do feel like we have the men in the locker room to get it done. Going into year two will make a big difference in the scheme of things," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said last week about the pass-rush. 

"We’re comfortable there, and obviously, as we build our roster, getting closer to the regular season, we’ve got to make sure that we have the right guys at the end of the day. So with that being said, with Buck (Defensive Line Coach Brentson Buckner), Rory (Assistant Defensive Line Coach Rory Segrest), and Shuey (Outside Linebackers Coach Bill Shuey) and working with the guys this spring, being able to put them in positions that we feel as a staff can help us generate more pass rush. We look forward to that. It’s a challenge for us, but we know that’s an area that must be addressed.”