Team Summary
Last season was one to forget for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The team had high expectations to dominate a division with three potential rookie quarterbacks playing during the season. The Jaguars would finish 9-8 and miss the playoffs. For most of the season, the offense had to deal with many ups and downs.
The bright spot was the passing offense, ranked in the top ten despite Trevor Lawrence looking night and day between the first and second halves of the season. Christian Kirk would be lost due to injury in the back half of the season. Calvin Ridley would also have some highs but lows for a player who hasn’t played for over a year. Ridley is now a free agent, turning 30, so the team may not want to break the bank to bring him back. They have some nice smaller pieces in Zay Jones and Parker Washington. After signing that contract extension, Evan Engram had a breakout season, and the team just drafted Brenton Strange in the last draft.
For the run game, Travis Etienne was great for fantasy, but the Jaguars ranked in the bottom 12 in run offense. Tank Bigsby didn’t make much noise as a rookie as many thought he would. The offense line was decent, but they have Ezra Cleveland and Tyler Shatley as free agents. Cam Robinson, their left tackle, could be a cut candidate this offseason.
On the defensive side of the ball. The Jaguars could be losing their star pass rusher Josh Allen. He had a career season with 17.5 sacks. There is a good chance they bring him back, but it’s not certain. Despite Allen’s great season, they were near the bottom in sacks. Only two defensive players among the front seven had more than four sacks last year. They need more talent to create pressure. They have a solid linebacker group, but Foyesade Oluokun is entering the final year of his contract.
In the secondary, they were solid with 16 interceptions last year. They are losing players like Tre Hendon and Gregory Junior to free agency. A good chuck of their secondary are all going into the final year of their contracts. They were a decent secondary as a team, but they don’t have that shutdown corner to put them over the top, like back when Jalen Ramsey was there.
1.17 Quinyon Mitchell CB, Toledo
For the Jaguars’ first pick, they select Quinyon Mitchell from Toledo. He had a fantastic last two seasons in college. He had six picks and 37 passes defended. Mitchell is a special player who can work in both man and zone coverages. He thrives best in a zone defense, allowing his coverage instincts to kick in.
Finally got eyes on Quinyon Mitchell today, and he’s quite good. Doesn’t show in this clip, but I was stunned by how quickly he breaks downhill.
— Dante Collinelli (@DanteCollinelli) February 29, 2024
++Explosiveness.
pic.twitter.com/5n0XYmoy3U
Mitchell is an elite athlete who will be able to keep up with even the best receivers in the game. He can be aggressive with receivers to throw them off their routes. Mitchell would fit in nicely as a day-one starter for this defense. The Jaguars need a true locked-down cornerback. Mitchell has the tools to lock down half the field on defense.
2.48 Zach Frazier IOL, West Virginia
In the second round, the Jaguars attacked the offensive line with Zach Frazier from West Virginia. Frazier was a center in his final year in college but sometimes played left guard. In 2023, he had a 74.5 run-blocking grade and a 79,9 pass-blocking grade via PFF. He only allowed one sack last season, as well. He is a former wrestler, so his hand placement when blocking is outstanding. He comes off the ball quickly and can help get to the next level in the defense to make a block. The Jaguars must find ways to get the run game going while assisting Trevor to Lawrence. Fraizer would be a great addition to the offensive line and a day-one starter.
3.79 Brandon Dorlus EDGE, Oregon
In the third round, the Jaguars selected Brandon Dorlus from Oregon. He played five years at Oregon between defensive tackle and defensive end. The Jaguars must create more pressure off their defensive line, and Dorlus can help. As a starter, he had 23 tackles for loss and ten sacks in three years. He is a physical pass rusher with excellent hand technique and lateral agility. He’d be higher if his explosiveness was more elite, but he was still a defensive force. This is a significant need for the Jaguars, and Dorlus will help.
4.114 Brenden Rice WR, USC
For the Jaguars first pick in round four, they selected Brenden Rice from USC. Rice is the son of former NFL player Jerry Rice. The Jaguars could still bring back Ridley this offseason, but it will be a tough sell to pay a 30-year-old receiver big money. The team will have Kirk back in 2024, but they could use a bigger-style receiver.
Don't sleep on USC's Brenden Rice (6021v, 212v) in this year's deep WR class. He's one of most physical big receivers in this class.
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) February 29, 2024
Rice can simply bully smaller corners, as he does here on this block release. Checkout where CB's heels are at snap and where they end up. 💪… pic.twitter.com/zhZdSrkRcr
Rice is a 6’3″ receiver who would automatically be the biggest receiver on the team. Zay Jones will be in the final year of his contract, so replacing him soon would be ideal. I think Rice could work early on as a big slot receiver for Lawrence until he can move to the outside in Jones’s position. This would be cheaper than paying Ridley to return to the team.
4.116 Cedric Gray LB, North Carolina.
Gray was a three-year starter at linebacker who lit up the stat sheet. In these last two seasons, Gray had over 120 tackles in each season and combined for 23 tackles for loss and six sacks. Gray is a rangy run defense who can get from sideline to sideline fast. He is an instant wrap tackler who could start day one. His ability in coverage needs to be cleaned up to be more of a full-time player. Gray should be able to work in this defense and produce even if he plays on the outside if Josh Allen doesn’t return.
5.151 Javon Foster OT, Missouri
In the fifth round, the Jaguars return to adding depth to that offensive line with Foster. The Jaguars could cut Cam Robinson, leaving a hole at one of their tackle spots. Foster has the right length and foundational skills to develop at the next level. He is a good athlete and quickly finds the blitz off the snap. He does need to work on his footwork, which has him lower in this draft. He doesn’t use his length to his advantage, but he has potential in the fifth round.
6.196 Brennan Jackson EDGE, Washington State
In the sixth round, the Jaguars get back to improving their pass rush on defense. Jackson, over these last two seasons, has 14.5 sacks and 24.5 tackles for loss. He has been a dominant force on Washington State’s defensive line. He is an all-out hustler and can make that second and third effort. His high motor could be helpful for a team looking to find pressure on an offense. Jackson likely won’t be an every-down player, but he can play the defense role on passing plays or third downs. The Jaguars need to find players to attack an offense, and Jackson has the potential to do so.
7.233 Grayson Murphy EDGE, UCLA
Murphy is another late-round pass rusher who could be a gem for the Jaguars. In three seasons as a starter, he had 32.5 tackles for loss and 18.5 sacks. He is an aggressive player who has a great spin move. He can burst off the line of scrimmage. It may need to build more strength to be used in any NFL scheme. He also needs to develop a counter-move when he gets shut down. When he gets shut down, he doesn’t have a way to break off that. Murphy can offer some potential to this defensive line.
Fantasy Impact
If Rice lands in the fourth round with the Jaguars, he would likely be a third-round pick in rookie drafts. He could impact in year one as he could be a red zone threat for this Jaguars offense. Rice must work on his game, but he could be a year two or third riser in Dynasty.
Mitchell does better in not allowing his opposing receiver to catch the ball than being a tackling machine or anything. He would be a third-round pick in IDP rookie drafts. He could have some interception upside but is like a boom-or-bust fantasy player.
Dorlus would likely be a late fourth-round pick. He fits the draft capital to be drafted to develop into a dominant pass rusher within the first few seasons of his NFL career. Gray would be a player to take late in IDP drafts due to his upside as a tackler. He’d likely get a chance to play in year one, but in year two, he could shine and be a 100-tackler player. Jackson and Murphy would likely be undrafted or taxi squad players to see if they develop.
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