The Jaguars, who picked first overall for the second year in a row, have been linked with some players in a draft that doesn’t appear to offer any surefire top talent. Perception around the league has the spikes pointing to a deal, but no needle-moving offer is allowed to materialize.
An NFL scouting director informed SI.com’s Albert Breer that “everyone” knows Jaguar’s GM Trento Baalke would rather trade down. Connected to both Aidan Hutchinson or fast emerging prospect Travon Walker At No. 1, the Jaguars still enter this draft as a team with multiple needs — despite their free agency binge. Moving down the board would allow the rebuild team to add more tips to address them.
However, a sufficient offer has not yet arrived. And a report earlier this off-season showed that teams haven’t shown much interest in climbing to No. 1. This draft could be the least desirable top pick since 2013, a draft that took a quarterback in Round 1 and the top 10 produced multiple busts. This could result in Jacksonville staying at #1. ESPN.com’s Breer and Todd McShay have Hutchinson as the overall winner, while NFL.com’s Peter Schrager mocks Walker to the Jags.
Walker, a Georgia defenseman who can also play indoors, has been linked with the Jags on numerous occasions this offseason. However, Hutchinson — the second-place Heisman finisher after a dominant senior season in Michigan — is viewed as the safer pick as Walker’s production isn’t in the same range as the ex-Wolverine’s. Baalke is sensitive to the Jags’ current reputation, according to Breer, who adds it could influence the veteran manager to play it safe at 1.
The team also worked extensively on this draft’s top offensive tackles, even though they were franchise tags CamRobinson, notes Breer. It would be surprising if the Jags tagged Robinson and still picked a tackle, but they’ve used first-round picks on defenders in four of their last seven drafts. Regardless of how Jacksonville proceeds, this draft seems to start with more uncertainty than the drafts of recent years.