With just two games remaining, the Jacksonville Jaguars have locked up a top-2 selection after the last game of Week 15 concluded. As a result of the Cincinnati Bengals’ 27-17 upset against the Pittsburgh Steelers on “Monday Night Football,” the Jags’ top 2021 draft selection will be no higher than second overall.
This additional positive news comes after the Jags found themselves in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 overall pick Sunday due to the New York Jets upsetting the Los Angeles Rams. With the win, the Jets avoided a winless season and now have a 1-13 record just like the Jags. However, thanks to the NFL’s tiebreaker rules, the Jags would select first overall because their strength of schedule (.548) is weaker than the Jets’ (604).
The upcoming draft will mark the third time the Jags have selected within the top-2 selections. The first time they did it was during their inaugural season (1995) when they selected offensive tackle Tony Boselli second overall. They had the same selection the following year and took Kevin Hardy out of the University of Illinois. Lastly, they had the No. 2 overall selection in 2013.
The Bengals, who were 2-10-1, had a slim chance to acquire the first or second overall pick. However, with their victory, it now becomes a two-horse race between the Jags and Jets in the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes. As most know, he’s been regarded as the top-rated prospect in over a decade by many and would be a huge acquisition for the Jags.
However, to get Lawrence, the Jags in all probability will need to lose their next two games as the Jets are unlikely to acquire any more 2020 victories. Their opponents for those weeks will be the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts, respectively, both of whom are in playoff contention.
