Mock Draft season has been in full effect for some time now. But with the Super Bowl now in the rearview mirror, mocks will be coming out at an accelerated rate. The Draft Network, one of my favorite sources for draft news and information, just released a brand new Monday Mock Draft by Kyle Crabbs. These mocks are generally very well thought out and have legitimate reasoning for each pick. Crabbs mocked the first round, in which the Jaguars have two picks. Let's take a look. #9 Overall - Derrick Brown, DT Auburn Crabbs: The Jacksonville Jaguars seem to routinely be a team that benefits from letting the board fall to them and drafting the best player available. They did it in 2016 with Jalen Ramsey, who was the fifth pick, and again in 2019 with Josh Allen — the seventh pick. Here, they get a defensive stalwart in Derrick Brown who will help to ensure the Jaguars have a ferocious defensive front, even if they lose Yannick Ngakoue in the offseason. Imagine Calais Campbell, the emerging Taven Bryan and Brown all lined up next to one another on passing downs. Me: This would be a home run. And Crabbs is right on regarding Dave Caldwell letting the board fall to him. If Derrick Brown slides to nine, the Jaguars should be quick to add the star defensive tackle. Brown can play 3-tech or nose tackle. He can penetrate, and he can stuff the run. Brown would not only be the best player available here, but he'd likely also be filling a significant need for the Jaguars. #20 Overall - Patrick Queen, LB LSU
Crabbs: Jacksonville sorely missed Telvin Smith on the gridiron in 2019 after he abruptly walked away from the game. Smith's game was predicated on speed and instincts — his range was a huge asset to the Jaguars before he walked away from the game. And even though the team drafted Quincy Williams in the 3rd-round of the 2019 NFL Draft, a good or promising player prevent anyone from drafting a great player at the same position. That's the scenario with Patrick Queen on the board for the Jaguars. Queen has plus zone coverage instincts, explosive speed and would pair very well with Myles Jack for a 1-2 punch in Jacksonville that would be impressive to watch. With Derrick Brown and Patrick Queen added to this defense, the Jaguars would stay true to their model of success from 2017 — playing ferocious defense. Me: This might be a bit rich for the linebacker position, but I am a fan of Patrick Queen, who has seen his draft stock skyrocket since the National Championship game. Queen fits the athletic profile that the Jaguars look for at linebacker and also packs a punch in run defense. I see this as a strong fit. But should the Jaguars go all-in on defense in round one this year? I'm not sold on that idea — the roster needs plenty of work on both sides of the ball, and in this mock draft, there are several offensive players on the board that I value more highly than Queen. WR Tee Higgins from Clemson and a host of offensive lineman would make more sense to me. Several run-stuffing linebackers would be able to help the Jaguars later in the draft. Overall this type of first-round would re-establish the Jaguars' defensive identity and set them up with a much more complete and versatile defensive front seven for years to come. What do you think? Follow Jordan on Twitter for all the latest Jaguars' news and analysis. |
