2023 Jacksonville Jaguars Mock Draft 2.0

Projected Changes Lead To Better Roles And New Needs

The Jacksonville Jaguars will have a lot of decisions to make this offseason, but with those comes the opportunity to better the roster and set up their current players for success. In this mock draft, we'll project some key changes to the Jaguars and the roles that their players take part in for the upcoming season. Let's jump into it.

As for departing free agents, we are projecting for Shaquill Griffin, Roy Robertson-Harris, Marvin Jones Jr., and K'Lavon Chaisson to be the most notable losses. The first two will be obvious cap casualties, with Roy Robertson-Harris still being a guy that can be renegotiated, while Marvin Jones Jr. could see a larger role in another offense and K'Lavon Chaisson can be upgraded from. With these moves, the Jaguars could look to move Travon Walker to RE where Roy Robertson-Harris played and Walker projects as a more natural fit. Having done that, now the Jaguars can look to upgrade their pass rush at strong-side linebacker.

I've got the Jaguars targeting an experienced pass rusher to complement the defense this offseason, that player being Justin Houston. Despite playing in a limited role, Houston was able to amass seven sacks for the Baltimore Ravens on an extremely affordable deal. He could immediately come in as a good starter in 3-4 looks and help with the development of this pass rushing group. With that said, they should highly consider drafting a 3-4 strong-side linebacker that can learn behind Houston.

These are the most notable changes I have taking place in this scenario. With most needs being taken care of, the Jaguars can look to change many of their position groups from good to great. Areas I considered upgrading before this draft were the pass rush, offensive line depth, another starting tight end, slot corner, running back, and a speed threat at wide receiver. Now that we've established all this, we'll take a look at the first selection.

No. #24 - Michael Mayer - TE, Notre Dame

Doug Pederson's gotta be smiling if he's able to land another great tight end at this point in the draft. Michael Mayer, aka Baby Gronk, is one of the next best tight ends to enter the NFL and would complete Pederson's well-known two tight end set. Mayer would not only immediately add another top receiver to the offense, but he instantly upgrades both the pass blocking and run blocking for the team. Essentially, this move takes an already loaded offense and makes it even more unstoppable while catering to the liking of the offensive minds in Jacksonville.

Off the field, Mayer is a intelligent and humble leader for the Fighting Irish. He would come into Jacksonville with a good head on his shoulders and be developed under one of the greatest head coaches for the tight end position in the league. He excels at nearly every facet of the game and has the look of one of the next great tight ends. It's a match made in heaven, so we had to make it happen for Jacksonville.

Other options I would have considered at this selection were Cam Smith, Kelee Ringo, and O'Cyrus Torrence. The first two prospects would have been great additions to the cornerback room, Smith being the better, but they don't project to the immediate needs of the Jaguars well. While it's great to amass talent at those positions you have to envision those players making it on the field soon, and where I disagree with most fans is that Darious Williams is expendable after next season. If he has a huge fall in play then I'd be totally on board, but he's one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL and needs to see the field for the team he took a pay cut to play for.

No. #56 - Derick Hall - OLB, Auburn

With our second selection in the draft, we turned our heads to the defense and addressed the future of the pass rush. Derick Hall was the clear best option on the board and played the majority of his snaps as an outside linebacker, so he has the experience playing at the Jaguars position of need. He's underdeveloped as a pass rusher, but he already excels against the run and shows all the signs that he's developing his arsenal of moves to reach the quarterback. He also possess the physical traits to get it done, so the Jaguars won't find any damning faults there.

Drafting Derick Hall addressed one of the chief needs on the defensive side of the ball for Jacksonville, but it leaves slot corner as an issue. That said, there wasn't an option at that position I was comfortable selecting here and the only other prospect I heavily considered was Rashee Rice. He should be off the board much earlier, so having a prospect with that kind of talent had to be considered. With three good starters already in house, I went for the defensive side of the ball instead.

No. #88 - Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson - CB, TCU

If Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson wasn't 5'9", I think he could've gone as early as the end of the first round. He's a hell of a player at cornerback and a clear candidate to move into the slot at the next level. For myself, he's a fantastic consolation prize if you can't land someone like Brian Branch or Clark Phillips III early on. Aside from size, he's a great fit into the Jacksonville defense. He's got fantastic technical skills, allowing him to lockdown anyone he's up against, and he's even best in man coverage which the Jaguars will need the most. He'll need to improve against the run, but the only real question is whether Trent Baalke and Doug Pederson would consider a player of that size.

This was a hard choice for me to make at this point because there was another great candidate available for this selection. Xavier Hutchinson was still on the board, who's a hometown kid that's been a great weapon for Iowa State. Bringing him back to Jacksonville would've been a great story, but the need was so much larger at slot corner and both players outside of that were extremely deserving of this selection.

No. #115 - Kenny McIntosh - RB, Georgia

Kenny McIntosh isn't just a complementary back, he's an offensive weapon that can do it all. McIntosh lined up anywhere from the backfield to on the boundary as a receiver, making him an ideal fit for Pederson and Taylor on this offense. While he may not offer much as a blocker, I think the value of adding the receiving element to the backfield could be considered worth more. McIntosh does project as a second back to the NFL, but he has the upside of a starter, and I think that he could man the backfield with JaMycal Hasty if this team ever lost Travis Etienne again.

No. #126 - Wanya Morris - OT, Oklahoma

The offensive line was the last big area I felt needed to be addressed, so with Wanya Morris following the pick was obvious. Morris needs development at the NFL level, but the selection couldn't make much more sense at this point in the draft and considering the changes that could take place on the offensive line the next few years. Morris has all the physical tools to succeed and offers much versatility, so we'll happily take that and bring it to Duval.

No. #184 - Anthony Johnson - CB, Virginia

Once it gets deep into Day 3, the focus changes towards bringing in prospects with the tools needed to develop into impact players. Anthony Johnson fits that profile well with a nice set of physical tools and the need for development. The main problem I have with the selection is that there were two late investments in the position last year, but I felt that Johnson was the best player available at this point in the draft.

No. #201 - Trevor Reid - OT, Louisville

It's already a broken record, but we're taking another development prospect with the physical tools to play in the NFL. Trevor Reid fits the bill once again, and he projects well to the style of offense that the Jaguars play. He'd have ample time to develop behind a cast of offensive linemen and eventually become a reliable backup for the Jaguars.

No. #227 - Tre Tucker - WR, Cincinnati

Tre Tucker this late in the draft is a nice steal for the Jaguars. He doesn't have great size for the position, but he looks like a good receiver when watching him on the field. Most of his limitations to start out are going to come from his physical profile, but he could be a nice insurance policy in case Christian Kirk goes down and the team needs someone to man the slot. Of course Jamal Agnew is here as well, but splitting time wouldn't hurt and he's more of an offensive weapon anyway.

Evaluating Mock Draft 2.0

I personally think this is one of the best mock drafts I've had this offseason, including the ones I've done in my spare time and kept to myself. It's a nice mix of getting the best players available and addressing all the needs on the roster. Not only does it repair holes, but it transforms some of these spots into key strengths for the team heading into next season.

Michael Mayer heading to the offense turns the Jaguars into one of the elite few offenses in the NFL. After that, we landed a great offensive weapon and complementary back in Kenny McIntosh while finding backups who could develop into valued assets in a couple years. On the defensive side, we plugged the two biggest holes with impact players on the second day of the draft, giving no more excuses for lackluster performances.

I wouldn't necessarily change any decisions in the draft, but I do think moving up in the second round to land a big name like O'Cyrus Torrence would've been nuts. It would've likely taken all of our second day selections though, so I don't regret staying put to snag Derick Hall and Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson. As for weaknesses on the team in this scenario, I could see the interior of the offensive line not living up to the expectations and continued struggles against tight ends. That's just a possibility though, not necessarily an unavoidable outcome.

Thanks for reading, feel free to give your thoughts in the comments and any suggestions for content you want to see. Make sure to be respectful towards other fans and represent the Jaguars fan base the way it deserves.