Last month, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. released his first mock draft of the season, and with the mindset that the Jags will look to add a veteran quarterback, he had them selecting Oklahoma offensive lineman Cody Ford.
For his second mock of the year, it appears much hasn’t changed in terms of his mindset as he slotted them Florida offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor instead to solidify the right side of the offensive line.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jawaan Taylor, OT, FloridaI’m sticking with an offensive lineman for Jacksonville here, as I believe the organization is more likely to go after a veteran quarterback like Nick Foles or Teddy Bridgewater over a rookie. This is a talented team that has to have more consistent QB play to get back to the playoffs in 2019. Could Tom Coughlin trust a rookie starter? Taylor will likely play right tackle at the next level — he made 33 starts there in college — and he could step in and start on Day 1 for the Jags.
I don’t know if all fans would agree with Kiper’s statements on wanting a veteran quarterback over a rookie as that has yet to be determined, but his logic behind the selection of Taylor makes sense. It also isn’t a pick that’s out of the realm of possibilities for the Jags because as we’ve seen with the selections of Dante Fowler Jr., Blake Bortles, Jalen Ramsey and Taven Bryan, the Jags love talent from Florida universities.
With the Jags being $4.3 million over the cap, they could be releasing Jermey Parnell as a cap casualty and Taylor would be a great replacement. He fits the mold of what Tom Coughlin and Doug Marrone look for in an offensive lineman in the sense that he’s physical and gets the dirty work done in the run game. That would also allow them to kick last year’s fourth-round pick, Will Richardson into guard, completing the Jags’ starting lineup for the offensive line. Simply put, this would be a great pick if quarterback is addressed beforehand.
