Jaguars Mailbag: Breaking Down the Final Days of the 2022 NFL Draft Process

Each week during this year's season, Jaguar Report will take Jacksonville Jaguars-related questions from our readers across social media and answer them in a question-and-answer format, giving readers a chance to have their voices heard.

You can submit your questions every week by tweeting them to the Jaguar Report Twitter handle or by submitting them here.

This week we take questions on the team's impending No. 1 pick, general manager Trent Baalke's tough decision and more.

Q: In your most recent Mock you had 3 of the first four picks being on the defense. How realistic do you think it is and how would you feel if that is how the draft went?

A: I honestly think it is fairly realistic. Remember, three of the Jaguars' first four picks last year were on offense. It seems like a sure thing the first pick will be made on defense, which would open the next three picks up to be either offense or defense. A wide receiver, tight end or offensive lineman could be added in this range, but the Jaguars could also take advantage of deep linebacker and safety groups.

I personally feel as if the Jaguars' entire roster needs an overhaul as opposed to just the offense, so I wouldn't think it is the worst strategy. Still, the Jaguars wouldn't draw any criticism from building around Trevor Lawrence, even if the defense has plenty of needs.

Q: Hi, John. Do you think it's possible Trent Baalke has learned from his previous errors as a GM and can be successful in today's game, or does a leopard not change his spots?

A: I think it is entirely possible. I mean, it isn't as if Trent Baalke has only a record of missteps; he did help build the 49ers into an NFC Champion and a Super Bowl-caliber team. Baalke isn't some inept general manager who is clearly out of his depth. So I do think he can still be successful and lead a winning team; the issue, of course, is that the progress with the Jaguars under his watch has been between non-existent and minimal. Baalke has shown in the past he can be successful and win, he just hasn't shown it with the Jaguars yet.

Q: If George Pickens and Quay Walker are both there at 33, who do you see Baalke picking?

A: I think the Jaguars would take Quay Walker. I personally see the need at receiver to be greater than linebacker and think a true starting X receiver like Pickens is more valuable than finding a second starting linebacker, but I am not sure the Jaguars see it the same way. The Jaguars are a team that is simply going to take the highest-graded player instead of selecting for a need, and it is tough for me to imagine they have a higher grade on George Pickens than Quay Walker. Walker simply seems like a Baalke linebacker and is one of the hottest names in the draft as a potential first-rounder, while Pickens may be closer to a top-50 pick.

Q: Do you think the Jaguars are more likely to upgrade left guard (Bartch) or center (Shatley) through the draft?

A: This is a great question. I really think the Jaguars could consider a center in the second round, whether it be Iowa's Tyler Linderbaum (who could fall out of the first due to his size, arm length and scheme fit concerns) and Nebraska's Cam Jurgens, who could be an early second-round pick thanks to his elite athleticism. After those two, there are several center options who make sense in rounds three and four, such as Dylan Parham, Zach Tom and Luke Fortner.

How the Jaguars view the guard class will likely tell us if they decide to upgrade there or at center. And going off Trent Baalke's comments last week, the Jaguars may not see the guard group as a terribly deep position.

“[I] like some of the players at that position obviously. Again, I don’t think it’s a particularly deep draft at offensive guard or really big bodies," Baalke said on Friday. "I think there’s some guys at the upper end of the curve, there’s a few in the middle, and then you’re taking developmental guys from that point forward. I wouldn’t call it an extremely deep draft for the interior line.”

Q: How will the Jaguars find their X at WR?

A: How do we know they don't already have their X? Between Zay Jones and Laquon Treadwell, the Jaguars have internal options for the spot. They are also going to have their receivers learn all three spots, so they can still trot Christian Kirk out there in some cases. The Jaguars should look to the draft to find a true developmental X such as George Pickens, Jalen Tolbert, Alec Pierce, or even Christian Watson, but the Jaguars very well could be happy with what they have.

Q: Who's top of your board in each position in the draft?

A: Quarterback: Malik Willis.

Running back: Kenneth Walker III

Wide receiver: Drake London

Tight end: Trey McBride

Offensive tackle: Evan Neal

Offensive guard: Zion Johnson

Center: Tyler Linderbaum

EDGE: Kayvon Thibodeaux

DL: Jordan Davis

LB: Nakobe Dean

CB: Derek Stingley Jr.

S: Kyle Hamilton

Q: Is there a Trent Baalke redemption arc if the Jags have a "good" draft?

A: If the Jaguars start winning games and looking like a real NFL team on the field, then there won't be many Trent Baalke critics left. The city and franchise are starving for even a seven or eight-win season. If Baalke can deliver that in 2022, I think you see public opinion flip on him pretty quickly.

Q: Kaiir Elam at 33 if he somehow makes it? (He won't)

A: I think it would be a great pick. I have Kaiir Elam as my No. 3 cornerback and my No. 17 overall player, a cornerback I believe deserves a first-round grade. He is physical, checks off every athletic box, and has some of the best ball skills and contested catch defense in the entire draft. The Jaguars don't need another cornerback, but getting good players is more important than anything else.

Q: I know it’s how the board falls but: would you be taking a LB or WR at 33

A: I would take a wide receiver, but that is because I see receiver as still the biggest need on the roster. The Jaguars have some solid role players at wide receiver but they lack size and speed to win on the outside and I wonder if they have a true go-to guy on third-downs. The Jaguars need a second starting linebacker too, but those players are easier to find than difference-makers on the outside.

Q: What are the chances the Jaguars draft a running back before a receiver?

A: Low. The Jaguars need a running back at some point, but are they taking a No. 3 running back before a receiver who could crack the rotation at receiver instantly? I doubt it, even with all of the additions the Jaguars made at receiver and tight end this offseason.

Q: How shocking would it be if the pick at 33 were anything but a Georgia Bulldog? I would take Quay, Cine, Pickens, and Dean vs the field.

A: I still think Iowa's Tyler Linderbaum is a legit possibility, along with Tulsa's Tyler Smith. Lewis Cine would be an excellent pick, but I am not sure he gets there. Same with Quay Walker. And I do not think the Jaguars would be in on either George Pickens or Nakobe Dean, at least not at No. 33 overall. Dean is too small for Baalke's history at linebacker, while Pickens seems like he isn't as likely to go at the top of the second as some thing.

Q: Could we see the Jags draft 2 starters for the O-line and not invest much into the WR room? I think drafting Linderbuam at 33 and Parham with our next pick does a lot more for us.

A: I could certainly see it. The Jaguars could take two interior linemen early in the draft and slot them in as starters at left guard and center, whereas I am not sure any receiver they take would start in Week 1. I would be surprised to see the Jaguars double-dip along the interior line before addressing wide receiver, but it isn't something that is completely out there.

Q: How many trades do you expect Baalke & the Jags will made next week? Trade up or down is more likely?

A: I think early on that a trade down is more likely. For example, I think the Jaguars would love to see teams get desperate for the No. 33 overall pick. There aren't a ton of first-round grades in this class and teams could be scratching the bottom of the barrel in terms of top options once the top-32 is finished. Having the No. 33 pick means the Jaguars will have all of Friday afternoon and most of Friday evening to entice teams to want to move up.

With that said, I would imagine the Jaguars make some attempts on Day 3 to move up for guys they are high on. We saw the Jaguars make such a move for Jordan Smith last season, trading up for him in the fourth-round when they saw their board of highly-ranked players quickly dwindling down. The Jaguars have enough ammo over the last four rounds that I think they could stomach losing a pick or two and securing a prospect they really like in rounds four or five.

Q: You’re angry if the Jaguars do ____ with the Number 1 pick… Personally, if they take anyone besides Ikey, Walker, Hutch, or Neal. They couldn’t possibly mess it up, could they?

A: I would say the worst-case scenario would be the Jaguars reaching for a position at No. 1 that simply doesn't have value at the slot, like wide receiver or safety. For example, if they took Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton, he would be one of the highest-paid safeties in the NFL before he even takes a snap; that isn't the kind of value the Jaguars should look for with the top pick.

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