Perfect Picks 2024: Jacksonville Jaguars

By Rhys Knott

If nothing else Doug Pederson has brought consistency to Jacksonville. The Jags finished 9-8 in his first season and he followed that up by finishing his second season with exactly the same record. But while in 2022, 9 wins was enough to win the division, this yearr it saw them finish third in the division. Good for their draft picks, but not great for their playoff chances.  

The Colts and the Texans both smashed the 2023 draft out of the park. The Jags on the other hand went for quantity over quality. They made 13 picks, but only eight of them actually suited up for the Jags in 2023.

In 2024 the Jags have 22 players hitting free agency, obviously they can’t all be replaced in the draft. But with only $25 million available to spend (until they rework some contracts) the nine draft picks they have are going to be important.  

Four of the Jaguars’ free agents are wide receivers, four are linebackers and four are offensive linemen. So there’s no prizes for guessing what their main needs are headed into the draft. Luckily this draft class is absolutely loaded with talented receivers, and there are plenty of linemen who will do a job in the NFL too. They might have to find the linebackers in free agency though.  

Round 1 – Brian Thomas Jr. WR, LSU

With the caveat that Trent Baalke will use this pick to select a mediocre pass rusher, because that’s what he does, the Jaguars should actually seek out a big-bodied receiver in the first round. And Thomas isn’t exactly Megatron, but he is 6 feet 4 inches tall, so he’s Elijah Cooks. But good. Seriously, Cooks runs like he’s wearing a suit of armour. Thomas is even taller than Evan Engram who caught 28% of the Jaguars passes in 2023.  

Thomas isn’t just tall though. He’s a really fluid mover, getting in and out of his cuts smoothly. He ties defensive backs in knots as they try to cover him, his ability to find separation is what elevates him above the other big receivers (who don’t answer to Marvin). Adonai Mitchell and Keon Coleman are both great to watch. But neither of them have the same consistency and almost serenity that Thomas Jr. does as he cooks DBs.  

Round 3 – Patrick Paul, OT, Houston

If the Jaguars re-sign Calvin Ridley and it’s seems unthinkable that they won’t. Ridley had 23% of the Jags receiving yards and 36% of the receiving touchdowns, he’s pretty much the cornerstone of the offense. Then the Jaguars second round draft pick will go to the Falcons, but they do have two picks in the 3rd round. And their next pick will be the 80th overall. And that’s perfect because they really need to bolster the offensive line. The entire team look lost when Cam Robinson is injured and the 41 sacks they allowed was 15th on the league. 15th isn’t terrible, but since Trevor Lawrence is one of those players who needs to feel good to play good, it was too many.   

PFF have Houston offensive tackle Patrick Paul as the 85th player on their big board. And Paul is the only offensive lineman that PFF have given a pass blocking rate of 90 or more in both of the last two seasons. He can also run routes, which seems like something that would interest Doug P. Just imagine a 6 feet 7 inch tight end weighing 315lbs lining up at tight end near the goal line.  

Mid Round Gem - Khyree Jackson, CB, Oregon

Oregon cornerback Khyree Jackson projects to be a third-round pick, so that’s sort of in the middle. But he’s ranked 54th on PFF’s big board, so he could well go sooner. Jackson transferred from Alabama after an unspecified suspension. And he replaced Christian Gonzalez, big shoes to fill. But he was a more than adequate replacement. He’s a 6 feet 3-inch cornerback. But he’s not just a long, rangy cornerback, he can also run a 4.4 40-yard dash. Tall and fast, what more do you want from a mid-round defensive back?

Late Round Sleeper - Devin Leary, QB, Kentucky

Kentucky quarterback Devin Leary is projected to be a 7th round choice. And that is absolutely bonkers. There’s nothing he can’t do. He can hang in the pocket and keep his eyes downfield. He can move the pocket and if there aren’t any receivers open, he can take off. And, unlike the big 4 QB’s he wasn’t playing behind the strongest offensive line. So, he had to process information with a small amount of chaos going on around him. Any Jags fan who watched C.J Beathard throw one touchdown from 53 attempts last season will tell you he isn’t the one.  

Draft in Full

Round 1 – Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU 

Round 3 (80th pick) – Patrick Paul, OT, Houston 

Round 3 (96th pick) – Khyree Jackson, CB, Oregon 

Round 4 (115th pick) – McKinnley Jackson, DT, Texas A&M  

Round 4 (117th pick) – Grayson Murphy, EDGE, UCLA 

Round 5 (152nd pick) – Trevor Keegan, G, Michigan 

Round 6 (195th pick) – Josh Proctor, S, Ohio State 

Round 6 (211st pick) – Zion Tupuola-Fetui, EDGE, Washington 

Round 7 (234th pick) – Devin Leary, QB, Kentucky 

RHYS KNOTT

NFL/FANTASY FOOTBALL ANALYST

Rhys has been watching the NFL for 30 something years and still hasn’t managed to pick a team to support. When he’s not fixatED on pass rushers you can find him blithering on about most sports on Twitter @wrhys_writes