The Jacksonville Jaguars are on the doorstep of one of the biggest moments in the franchise's history. That's not hyperbole either as this No. 1 overall pick and the player widely expected to hear his name first at the 2021 NFL Draft is coming into the league with more hype than the likes of John Elway, Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck. If he comes anywhere close to displaying the talent those three flashed at the next level, the Jags should be well on their way to contending for championships in the years to come, which makes this such an exciting time for the club.
While many of us are keeping a close eye on the No. 1 overall spot, there is also the rest of the draft for the Jaguars to fill out, too. Below, you'll find one avenue the club could go down as we took a stab at how their entire draft could unfold (h/t The Draft Network's mock draft machine).
| Round (Overall Pick) | Prospect | College |
|---|---|---|
1 (1) | QB Trevor Lawrence | Clemson |
1 (25) | S Trevon Moehrig | TCU |
2 (33) | IDL Christian Barmore | Alabama |
2 (45) | WR Rondale Moore | Purdue |
3 (65) | OT Brady Christensen | BYU |
4 (106) | RB Trey Sermon | Ohio State |
4 (130) | EDGE Dayo Odeyingbo | Vanderbilt |
5 (145) | CB Rodarius Williams | Oklahoma State |
5 (170) | WR Anthony Schwartz | Auburn |
7 (249) | Boise State |
Not exactly a shocking selection at No. 1 as Clemson phenom Trevor Lawrence has been the pick from the jump. Jags head coach Urban Meyer even acknowledged that this is the "direction we're headed" while speaking about Lawrence and that top choice in a conversation with NBC Sports' Peter King recently. It's a slam-dunk pick for Jacksonville and fills its biggest need at the sport's most important position for what it hopes to be the next decade-plus.
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With its other first-rounder at No. 25, Jacksonville could have paired Lawrence with his former Clemson teammate in running back Travis Etienne, but opted to give the secondary an added boost by bringing in safety Trevon Moehrig out of TCU. He's been a popular prospect to come off the board in this spot as of late and is considered to be the top safety in this class. Moehrig provides the Jaguars a chance to bring in a young center fielder to the secondary that also has the versatility to play as a box safety as well. This position is a bit crowded with Rayshawn Jenkins also coming into the fold this offseason, but that could prove to be a strong one-two punch for the next few years.
Meanwhile, Alabama's Christian Barmore gives the Jaguars a strong start for Day Two of the draft and brings in a big body to a front seven that Meyer wants to bolster as he begins his tenure in Jacksonville. By adding Barmore, who could easily find himself off the board in the first round into the mix, the Jaguars are getting an explosive young player that could form a nice inside-outside duo with defensive end Josh Allen.
As for the second pick in the second round, Purdue receiver Rondale Moore put together one of the most eye-popping pro days of the pre-draft cycle and has himself shooting up draft boards. I don't know if that hype gets him into the first round, but the Jags will be more than happy if he's around when they're on the clock here at No. 45. Outside of his lack of size -- 5-foot-9, 180 pounds --, there's a lot to love about Moore's game. He's explosive on all levels of the field and could be an early go-to weapon for Lawrence alongside Laviska Shenault, DJ Chark and Marvin Jones. In the third, BYU tackle Brady Christensen gives the Jaguars someone with the potential to protect Lawrence over the long term. While he's been criticized for not being athletic enough for the next level, the three-year starter at left tackle dispelled that notion with a dazzling pro day. There, he recorded a 10'4 board jump, a 34" vertical, and had 30 reps on the bench press. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed the lowest quarterback pressure percentage of any offensive tackle since 2014.
It took us to the fourth round for Meyer to target a Buckeye as the Jaguars tab Ohio State's Trey Sermon to join the backfield. Undrafted back James Robinson was one of the best finds of the 2020 season, but the Jacksonville brass has been forthright in its desire to add even more talent to that area of the roster this offseason. With Sermon, the team is getting a back who has averaged more than 7 yards per touch over the past two seasons and has the frame of an NFL back. He was a bit inconsistent in college but dominated against Clemson in the playoffs last year. If he can carry that postseason play into the pros, this is quite the backfield the Jags are putting together.
As we start to get further down the rabbit hole of Day Three, the more and more we're throwing darts at the board and hoping something sticks. Vanderbilt pass rusher Dayo Odeyingbo is an intriguing addition in the fourth round while Auburn's Anthony Schwartz is a pass catcher that brings world-class speed to the NFL.
