Jaguars Can Clean up Nicely in Later Rounds of the NFL Draft

The Jacksonville Jaguars are in desperate need of additional talent on their roster after multiple seasons of largely uncompetitive football. With a new-look front office, the Jaguars appear primed for massive changes to their roster, culture, and reputation.

Mark Chichester of Pro Football Focus recently released his mock draft projections for the Jaguars. He believes the Jaguars will address many of their most pressing needs via the NFL Draft, as they have plenty of picks to help spark a turnaround in Jacksonville.

Chichester projected the Jaguars to use the later rounds to find diamonds in the rough that could help them boost positions of need. After taking care of their most pressing needs in the first three rounds, he thinks the Jaguars will draft a running back in the sixth round.

He thinks the Jaguars will select running back Brashard Smith from TCU after the duo of Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne failed to sustain their early season success. Jacksonville's lack of a ground game undoubtedly held the offense and the back this season.

"Smith totaled 113 career catches in college, including 44 in 2024 for SMU after transferring from Miami, where he spent his first three seasons. While his 2024 route tree primarily featured swings and screens, he showcased a more diverse skill set at Miami and could bring a dynamic element currently missing from Jacksonville’s backfield," Chichester said.

With their second sixth-round pick, Chichester believes the Jaguars will select tight end Benjamin Yurosek from Georgia. This could give the Jaguars a developmental project that could eventually grow into a quality option for quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

"Yet another transfer, Yurosek arrived in Athens in 2024 after starting his career at Stanford. His most productive seasons came in Palo Alto, where he totaled 96 catches for 1,174 yards over two years — 644 of those yards coming after the catch," Chichester said.

In the seventh round, Chichester projected the Jaguars to select linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson from Kentucky to help bolster their defense. Jacksonville's defense had a disappointing season and can use all the help they can get this offseason.

"Teams value special teams experience in late-round picks, and Dumas-Johnson has plenty of it. Over his four-year college career at Kentucky and Georgia, he logged 308 special teams snaps, contributing to every unit except field goals and extra points," Chichester said.

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