Jacksonville Jaguars: Early top positions of need for 2021 NFL Draft
Taking an early look at the top potential positions of need for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2021 NFL Draft.
It may not be fair to say that the Jacksonville Jaguars are tanking, but this is clearly a franchise that has at least one eye on the future. After trading away star edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue over the weekend and waiving running back Leonard Fournette, the Jaguars are going to look a lot differently this season. Plus, they are going to enter next offseason with a ton of 2021 NFL Draft capital and will likely have a significant opportunity to rebuild this roster in a big way.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have already put together an impressive amount of impact young talent on both sides of the ball. This is obviously an incomplete roster, but there are plenty of exciting players to keep an eye on this season.
This conversation begins with quarterback Gardner Minshew. Minshew came from seemingly out of nowhere to have a strong rookie season last year with the Jags. He was a sixth-round selection in the 2019 NFL Draft, but came in and showed impressive playmaking ability during his first season. Minshew’s long-term upside may be a question, but he has a chance to establish himself as the face of this franchise for many years this season.
Jacksonville has also put together an interesting group of pass catchers for Minshew. DJ Chark piled up 73 receptions for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns for the Jags last season and could establish himself as a true number one target in this offense in 2020. Rookie wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. also stands out as an impressive playmaker who could quickly become a favorite target for Minshew and the Jags.
While the Jaguars’ defense is not loaded with the impact veteran talent that they had a few years ago, there is still plenty for them to get excited about on that side of the ball. The edge-rushing duo of Josh Allen and K’Lavon Chaisson has nearly unlimited upside and there is still plenty of hope for Taven Bryan as an interior rusher.
The linebacker duo of Myles Jack and Joe Schobert is excellent and first-round rookie cornerback C.J. Henderson leads a talented, young secondary. Simply put, there is a ton of raw talent for the Jacksonville Jaguars on the defensive side of the ball.
It does not take much to look around and like some pieces on this Jaguars’ roster. That being said, they are unlikely to be competitive this season. Instead, this team is clearly looking towards the future and will use the 2021 NFL Draft to build on to this potentially strong core of players. Which positions will the Jacksonville Jaguars look to attack in the 2021 NFL Draft? Let’s take a look as we pinpoint some early positions of need for this team.