JAGUARS JUMP TO NO. 2 OVERALL IN 2021 NFL DRAFT

With another loss, and help from one of the clubs from New York, the Jaguars now hold the number two overall pick in 2021. 

BY JORDAN DE LUGO

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The Jaguars lost again this Sunday, extending their streak to seven straight losses. But from a certain point of view, they were this weekend's big winners.

You see, at this point in the season, the Jaguars are toast. From the coaching staff to the front office to the players, there's simply not enough inside the building to get things turned around. Wholesale changes are the only answer for this team that has just one winning season in the last decade. 

The most consistent issue for this middling franchise has been quarterback play. The team has consistently been bad but has not been able to find a franchise quarterback, despite drafting two in the top ten overall picks of the draft since 2011 (Blaine Gabbert, Blake Bortles). 

But this year, the stars seem to be aligning for the Jaguars to land a potential franchise quarterback. The Jaguars took Gabbert with the number ten overall pick in 2011 and Bortles just three years later with the third overall pick in the 2014 Draft. But neither of those players had the pedigree or potential of Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields, the projected top two quarterbacks in the 2021 draft class. 

Back to this past weekend...

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The Jaguars entered week nine of the 2020 NFL season in control of the third overall pick. They were behind the two teams from New York; the winless Jets held the top spot, and the Giants were in second. The Jaguars lost their week nine matchup with the Texans, holding serve as a one-win team. But the Giants, the only other team with one win to their name, were able to take down the Football Team, allowing the Jaguars to jump them in the draft order. The final game on the week nine slate was an AFC East showdown between the Jets and Patriots. The Jets led for much of the contest but ultimately lost to their division foes, keeping their place atop the 2021 draft board. 

It seems unlikely that the Jaguars will be able to find another win at this point in the season, which is very, very good news. Their remaining schedule features the Packers, Steelers, Browns, Vikings, Titans, Ravens, Bears, and Colts. If the Jaguars perform as expected, they'll easily finish with a top-two pick. And that would ensure them the ability to select either Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields. 

Even if the Jaguars do sneak out a victory or two down the stretch, they could still be in position to land one of these elite prospects. But if they're not able to add one of these coveted quarterbacks, another option has emerged. Zach Wilson, a Junior quarterback from BYU, has been putting on a show in 2020. He's got size, ridiculous arm talent, and more than enough mobility. He's not nearly as clean of a prospect as Lawrence or Fields, but it's not difficult to envision Wilson developing into a franchise quarterback at the next level. 

All of this is to say; the Jaguars are in an excellent spot to land a potential franchise-changing talent at quarterback, the likes of which has never been seen in Duval county. 

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