NFL Draft Grades - Jacksonville Jaguars
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Jacksonville Jaguars Upcoming 2023 Draft Picks (9)
Grade: B-
I'm surprised the Jaguars didn't draft Deonte Banks, as the Giants moved into this spot and took him. Banks certainly fills a big need for the Giants, who didn't replace James Bradberry last offseason. However, I think this is a bit too early for him. I mocked him in this area, but I thought he should have gone in the second round because he's a raw prospect.
Grade: B
The Bears desperately needed a second cornerback, and they selected a prospect who was once slotted in the first round. Tyrique Stevenson, however, slipped because of character concerns. However, he's a talented, big corner who should provide an upgrade at the position.
Grade: D
Come on, guys, you have bigger needs than this. Tank Bigsby can help the Jaguars plow into the end zone, but Jacksonville already had two talented running backs in Travis Etienne and D'Ernest Johnson. The Jaguars had way bigger fish to fry.
Grade: B+
Ventrell Miller won't be a three-down defender, but that's fine because he'll help the Jaguars defend the run. I had Miller around this range, so I'm a fan of Jacksonville drafting him at this spot.
Grade: C+
The Saints needed a quarterback of the future, so Jake Haener makes sense to fill that role. Haener is an accurate quarterback, but has an injury history. I think there were better options at the position, but I don't hate this pick.
Grade: B-
I don't know why the Jaguars need another receiver, but they have a million picks, so I guess they were bound to take one. Parker Washington projects as a solid slot receiver in the pros.
Grade: C
Christian Braswell is an instinctive cornerback, but he's a small corner who will be pushed around. I didn't have him in any of my mocks, but the Jaguars could have landed a decent depth player.
Grade: B
Grade: B
Cooper Hodges is a tough run blocker, but may have to move from tackle to guard in the pros. The Jaguars could use another guard, so that should be just fine. Hodges makes sense in this range.
Walt's Mock Selections as of 6/6/2023 -View Current Mock Draft
Round: 1


The Jaguars have issues on defense, but they lost Jawaan Taylor, so they have to find someone new to protect Trevor Lawrence.
Broderick Jones is a raw lineman who showed great upside at the combine.
*** OTHER 2023 NFL DRAFT POSSIBILITIES: ***
1. Deonte Banks/Emmanuel Forbes, CBs - The Jaguars have a huge need at cornerback that must be addressed early.
2. Mazi Smith/Bryan Bresee, DTs - Jacksonville could complement last year's edge rusher with a defensive tackle to help collapse the pocket.
Round: 2


The Jaguars must focus on bolstering their pass rush and cornerback group to make sure they're much better against the pass in 2023.
Tuli Tuipulotu used his explosion and twist to enjoy an incredible '22 season.
Round: 3


The Jaguars need to continue working on their putrid secondary, which must improve if they're to beat some of the elite teams in the AFC.
Antonio Johnson is a huge 6-3 cornerback who performed at a high level this past season. He may play safety in the NFL.
Round: 4


Jacksonville needs all the pass-rushing talent it can get, so doubling up on the position is a very strong possibility.
Yaya Diaby has nice size and showed a strong pass-rushing ability when he recorded nine sacks last year. He had a tremendous 10-yard split at the combine.
Round: 4


Jacksonville struggled to stop the pass, so here's some cornerback depth.
Anthony Johnson is a big cornerback who needs to show that he's agile enough to run with speed receivers.
Round: 6


The Jaguars will need to draft multiple offensive linemen to make sure Trevor Lawrence is well protected.
Round: 6


The Jaguars signed D'Ernest Johnson this offseason, but they may want to add someone to challenge him for the No. 2 spot.
Round: 6


I'm sure Trevor Lawrence wouldn't mind another blocker to help him remain upright.
Richard Gouraige is a better run blocker than pass protector. He can move inside to guard.
Round: 7


The Jaguars haven't addressed their linebacking corps yet, so they'll need to do that at some point.
Anfernee Orji didn't make many splash plays at Vanderbilt, but was a tough run defender.
Past Grades and Selections
2023 NFL Draft Selections and Grades
B- I'm surprised the Jaguars didn't draft Deonte Banks, as the Giants moved into this spot and took him. Banks certainly fills a big need for the Giants, who didn't replace James Bradberry last offseason. However, I think this is a bit too early for him. I mocked him in this area, but I thought he should have gone in the second round because he's a raw prospect.
B The Bears desperately needed a second cornerback, and they selected a prospect who was once slotted in the first round. Tyrique Stevenson, however, slipped because of character concerns. However, he's a talented, big corner who should provide an upgrade at the position.
D Come on, guys, you have bigger needs than this. Tank Bigsby can help the Jaguars plow into the end zone, but Jacksonville already had two talented running backs in Travis Etienne and D'Ernest Johnson. The Jaguars had way bigger fish to fry.
B+ Ventrell Miller won't be a three-down defender, but that's fine because he'll help the Jaguars defend the run. I had Miller around this range, so I'm a fan of Jacksonville drafting him at this spot.
C+ The Saints needed a quarterback of the future, so Jake Haener makes sense to fill that role. Haener is an accurate quarterback, but has an injury history. I think there were better options at the position, but I don't hate this pick.
B- I don't know why the Jaguars need another receiver, but they have a million picks, so I guess they were bound to take one. Parker Washington projects as a solid slot receiver in the pros.
C Christian Braswell is an instinctive cornerback, but he's a small corner who will be pushed around. I didn't have him in any of my mocks, but the Jaguars could have landed a decent depth player.
B
B Cooper Hodges is a tough run blocker, but may have to move from tackle to guard in the pros. The Jaguars could use another guard, so that should be just fine. Hodges makes sense in this range.
2022 NFL Draft Selections and Grades
B+ Grade
Jaguar fans will ask, "Is there anything the Jags could've done to get an 'A' grade?" The answer is trading down, but that wasn't a possibility because teams weren't interested in moving up in this mediocre draft class. So, no. But I was thrilled to get a B+ when I was in school, so this grade is perfectly fine. I like that the Jaguars chose the upside in Walker over the safety in Aidan Hutchinson. Walker has a much lower floor, but you don't win Super Bowls by being safe. The Jaguars kicked off the 2022 NFL Draft Grades with a solid B+.
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A Grade
Devin Lloyd could have gone 10 picks earlier than this without any complaints, so I like Jacksonville's decision to move up a few spots to obtain him. Lloyd is a terrific linebacker who is very versatile. He's a good player, and the Jaguars don't have many of those on their defense.
A- Grade
The Jaguars finally found some help for Trevor Lawrence. It took a while, but better late than never. Jacksonville wanted Tyler Linderbaum at No. 33, but they'll definitely settle for the versatile Luke Fortner, who should be able to replace the retired Brandon Linder at center.
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Also, if you'd like to support the site, check out my book! It's available on Amazon, and it's called A Safety and a Field Goal.
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C Grade
I like the player, but hate the fit. The Jaguars spent tons of money on linebacker in free agency and then traded up for Devin Lloyd. Why would they draft another linebacker? This seems so redundant. Again, I like Muma, but there were many greater needs.
A Grade
I love the value and the fit of this pick. Zyon McCollum has nice size and length for a cornerback, and I thought he would be chosen in the fourth round, or perhaps even the third frame. The Buccaneers had to find better depth at cornerback, and McCollum should provide that.
B+ Grade
The Lions had tons of neds entering the 2022 NFL Draft, and linebacker was one of them. Malcolm Rodriguez was someone I had in the fifth- or sixth-round range, so this seems like another solid choice for Detroit.
B Grade
Grant Calcaterra is a major injury risk. He actually had to retire for a season because of concussion issues. He could be a big producer if he sticks around in the NFL, but one more head injury could be curtains for him.
B+ Grade
Cade Mays has great physical talent, but he has some injury concerns. If he can get over those, he'll be a potential starter down the road for the Panthers, though that may not be so difficult, given the team's major blocking issues. It's nice that Mays can play every position.
B+ Grade
Isaiah Thomas was someone I toggled between the sixth and seventh rounds, but didn't make the final cut in the mock. The Browns need edge-rushing help, so perhaps Thomas will be able to contribute at some point.
B Grade
Deane Leonard wasn't on my radar at all until he ran a 4.39 40 at 6-1. He has quality upside, which is what you want from your late-round picks. Besides, the Chargers need as much corner help as possible.
2021 NFL Draft Selections and Grades
A+ Grade
I've been running this Web site for more than 21 years, and Trevor Lawrence is the best quarterback prospect I've ever covered. Unless he suffers a barrage of injuries throughout his career, I can't see him busting, or even being slightly better than mediocre. There's a very good chance Lawrence will be one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL over the next 15 years or so. The Jaguars deserve an A+ not only for the pick; but for making it happen. The Jets won some meaningless games late in 2020 and lost out on Lawrence. The Jaguars, conversely, seemed to tank late in the year (versus the Bears in particular) because they knew that doing so would allow them to be a Super Bowl contender for a long time.
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F Grade
Ugh. Apparently, the Jaguars didn't read my analysis of the D- grade I gave to the Steelers. There's no reason to select a running back in the first round. It just has an extensive losing track record. Travis Etienne projects to be a good player, but this pick simply wasn't necessary, especially when considering that running back was not a need at all. That's the difference between the Steeler and Jaguar grades.
A- Grade
The Jaguars had a miserable defense that they needed to address, so this is the beginning of that. There was a huge hole at cornerback across from C.J. Henderson, which Tyson Campbell will fill. Campbell is a lengthy cornerback I had in the first round of some of my updates. I eventually moved him into the middle of Round 2, but this is the right area for him.
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B- Grade
Walker Little is a risk. He's had a long layoff from football because of an injury in 2019. I thought he would fall in the 2021 NFL Draft as a result. However, he projects to be a quality pass protector, so I won't complain too much about this pick because the Jaguars had a weakness at tackle and they had to protect Trevor Lawrence.
A- Grade
The Jaguars have been heavily criticized for their bad draft thus far by many, but this is a strong selection. Andre Cisco is a very instinctive safety who can start right away for a secondary that sorely needed help in the secondary entering the offseason.
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Also, if you'd like to support the site, check out my book! It's available on Amazon, and it's called A Safety and a Field Goal.
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A- Grade
Jay Tufele was expected to go early in the third round, so the Jaguars are getting some nice value with this pick. They have yet to replace Calais Campbell, so it would make sense that they would target a defensive tackle with this selection. Tufele obviously won't be Campbell, but he has some nice upside.
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Also, if you'd like to support the site, check out my book! It's available on Amazon, and it's called A Safety and a Field Goal.
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A- Grade
The Rams lost some defensive backs this offseason, so they had to address both positions. Robert Rochell is someone I've had in the fourth round of my mock draft, so I like the value the Rams are getting with this selection.
D Grade
Luke Farrell is not someone I had on my radar as a draftable prospect. The Jaguars needed to address their hole at tight end - and not because Gerald Everett left - but there were many better players at the position.
Follow @walterfootball for updates. Also, you can Support Us on Patreon here!
Also, if you'd like to support the site, check out my book! It's available on Amazon, and it's called A Safety and a Field Goal.
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You can buy it here. It has some NFL Draft-related topics, so like I said, if you want to support the site, this is a great way to do it!
B+ Grade
Another good pick for the Texans! What is happening? Garrett Wallow is an athletic, albeit undersized linebacker. The upside is there, however, and I had him in the fourth round, so I like this value.
B Grade
I don't think I would have gone with a third receiver if I were the Rams, but this is pick No. 249, so it's not a big deal. I had Ben Skowronek mocked eight picks earlier than this, so the range is obviously something with which I agree.