Third-round: 65th overall – DT Alim McNeill, NC State Wolfpack
When defensive tackle Alim McNeill was on the board at 65th overall, it was an easy decision for me to make. The Jacksonville Jaguars were awful on the interior of their defensive line last season, and need some major help. They ranked 30th against the run, giving up 153.3 rushing yards per game.
During his three-year career at NC State, McNeill recorded 77 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. I see McNeill as primarily a run-stopper, which is the biggest reason I selected him 65th overall. With that being said, he’s not a liability when it comes to rushing the passer. As he gets more playing time, McNeill should be able to further develop his pass rushing moves. While the Jaguars are waiting for his pass rush to develop, they can at least use him to sure up their woeful run defense from last season.
I wouldn’t be shocked at all to see McNeill as the starting defensive tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars when the season starts, especially when you consider how teams ran all over them last season. At the very least, McNeill would give the Jaguars a highly useful rotational player on the interior of their defensive line.
Three-round recap
- 1st overall – QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson Tigers
- 25th overall – S Trevon Moehrig, TCU Horned Frogs
- 33rd overall – TE Pat Freiermuth, Penn State Nittany Lions
- 45th overall – OT Jalen Mayfield, Michigan Wolverines
- 65th overall – DT Alim McNeill, NC State Wolfpack
With five picks in the first three rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft, I believe I was able to address not only some of the biggest needs the Jacksonville Jaguars have but also some depth. I believe Trevor Lawrence, Trevon Moehrig, and Pat Freiermuth would be instant starters for this team. Between Jalen Mayfield and Alim McNeill, I’d say McNeill would be most likely to be a starter first, but Mayfield would provide much needed depth along the offensive line.
The way things played out in this mock draft, I don’t think I could have done much better in the first three rounds, but you tell me Jaguars fans. How would you grade my three-round draft haul as the acting General Manager of the Jacksonville Jaguars?