Jacksonville Jaguars 2024 mock draft roundup (4/8)

Will the Jags take an offensive lineman in round one, or stick between choosing a receiver or corner?

Despite the leading theory that the Jacksonville Jaguars are destined to pick either a corner or receiver in the first round of the draft, not everyone seemingly agrees.

In this week’s roundup, we have an appearance of an offensive lineman and two trades by the team. There also is a cameo by an EDGE prospect.

While many still believe the team should draft a guy like wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. or cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, the jury is still widely out for what the biggest Round 1 need is for Jacksonville.

NFL.com

To start things off, Chad Reuter throws one of the more interesting curveballs of any recent mock. Reuter predicts the Jags to trade down all the way to 32 with the Kansas City Chiefs. With the last pick in the first round, the Jags go corner and draft Rutgers defensive back Max Melton.

Melton’s plus athleticism was on display at the NFL Scouting Combine, and his film shows his versatility to play in the slot or outside, win jump balls and stick his nose into run defense.

NFL.com

Jaguar legend Maurice Jones-Drew put out a mock, and he keeps things simple for his former team. MJD has the Jags staying out at 17, and taking Alabama corner Kool-Aid McKinstry.

Jacksonville did some solid work on the defense in free agency. McKinstry helps new DC Ryan Nielsen field a top-10 unit.

Yahoo Sports

Charles McDonald and Nate Tice released a new mock, and unsurprisingly, they have the Jags taking a corner. At 17, the pair like Iowa’s Cooper DeJean to potentially play a variety of roles within the Jags’ defense.

The Jaguars need an outside cornerback, and with new signing Darnell Savage potentially operating mostly as a slot player, they might need a starting safety as well. Whether DeJean is best on the outside, in the slot or as a safety (I think he’s a plus-player at all of them), it doesn’t matter. He will instantly help the Jaguars’ defense for 2024 and the long term. (The football nerd in me wants to see Jaguars defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen working with DeJean and Savage and what stuff he’d do with them.)

Last Word on Sports

David Latham, managing editor for Last Word on Sports, thinks the Jags go defense but actually do not go with a corner. Latham breaks the mold and mocks the team to take UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu.

The Jacksonville Jaguars had the fewest sacks in the league last year despite Josh Allen recording 17.5 on his own. Laiatu Latu lacks Allen’s elite ceiling, but the NFL Draft hopeful is a master of his craft and should get after the quarterback consistently.

CBS Sports

Tom Fornelli gets us back on track with another corner mock. Fornelli likes Alabama’s Terrion Arnold at 17, thinking Arnold could slide out of the top 15.

I consider myself a charter member of The Terrion Arnold Fan Club, so I’m a little surprised it took this long to see him come off the board in this mock. Don’t worry, I shall be writing an angry letter to the author about it!

The 33rd Team

We have an incredible curveball from Marcus Mosher and The 33rd Team with this mock. Mosher mocks neither a corner nor receiver, but rather Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton. While maybe not a flashy pick, Barton graded out as one of the best offensive linemen in decades.

There might not be a hotter prospect in the draft right now than Graham Barton. After posing a 9.99 RAS at offensive guard, his stock is rising. He was once thought to be a borderline first-round pick; now, there is a good chance he goes off the board inside the top 20. Barton could add more protection for Trevor Lawrence at guard or center as the Jacksonville Jaguars beef up their offensive line.

Pro Football Focus

Back to corners, Gordon McGuinness keeps things simple and mocks Arnold at 17. Last season, Arnold was given an 88.4 grade by PFF.

The Athletic

In Bruce Feldman’s latest mock, he also has general manager Trent Baalke trading back in the draft. Feldman mocks the Jags to trade down to 23, with the Minnesota Vikings picking at 17, and has Baalke and co. drafting McKinstry.

Fox Sports

Noted Jaguars truther Nick Wright makes an appearance this week, and mocks Mitchell to the team. Wright has Mitchell as the second corner off the board, two picks behind DeJean.

Bleacher Report

The staff at Bleacher Report agrees with Wright, mocking Mitchell to Duval. Mitchell checks the boxes for the Jags’ new scheme, and will certainly upgrade a somewhat shaky cornerback room.

The incoming cornerback class lacks a true star prospect, but Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell has made the most of every opportunity throughout the evaluation process. “Mitchell is one player who has constantly risen up the board,” said Cory Giddings. “A twitchy athlete, he shows to be a sticky cover man with the ability to play the ball through the catch point. With the press-heavy scheme being instituted by the Jacksonville Jaguars defense, Mitchell can be an early starter and hold that position for years to come.” The Jaguars have recently moved off what essentially became failed free-agent signings at cornerback, with the releases of Shaquill Griffin last offseason and Darious Williams this year. As Giddings alluded to, Ryan Nielsen’s hire as the Jaguars new defensive coordinator brings a play-caller who had his unit “aligned in press coverage against a league-high 53.7 percent of wide aligned routes in 2023” while with the Atlanta Falcons, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Jacksonville needs corners who can cover and make plays. Tyson Campbell and a 30-year-old Ronald Darby aren’t enough. Enter Mitchell.