There are believed to be four prospects for the Jaguars at No. 1 overall, but it could be a matchup between two defensive ends when top decision-makers gather for their final decision this week.
Shad Khan will watch that Trento Baalke– and Doug PedersonSI.com’s Albert Breer notes the deliberations of the -led operation this week, and the longtime Jaguars owner said he had an opinion on which route the team should take at No.1. Khan’s opinion appears to be Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson is the way to go, according to ProFootballNetwork.com’s Tony Pauline, who adds that Baalke supports the Georgia defender Travon Walker.
Though his collegiate production eclipses Walker’s, Hutchinson now trails the size-speed freak in pre-draft odds to be the top pick. The Walker-Jaguars connection has now been in place for several weeks. Khan has historically been in control of rosters and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Jags owner pulled the trigger on his favorite player in Year 10. Khan would obviously prefer the room to form consensus and hinted to Breer that Pederson and Baalke are in control of football operations.
“Yes, I have an opinion,” Khan said of Breer of the No. 1. “I have an opinion. We’re supposed to meet on Wednesday, so I don’t have as firm a decision as maybe I had last year, but I do. I think we need to really solidify the design board so we have clarity about all the permutations and combinations we’re going to make.
During Pederson’s tenure, the Eagles devoted significant resources to strengthening their offensive line. The new Jags HC may not resist such a strategy this year, despite the bevy of high-end D-Line prospects in this draft. The Jags were connected Ikem Ekwonu early in the preliminary design process, prior to franchise tagging CamRobinson for the second time, and Breer hears that Baalke is a fan of the North Carolina State O-Lineman. Ekwonu stays at 1 for the Jags, with ESPN.com’s Matt Miller in play tweets.
The team is rumored to be close to a Robinson renewal, and Javan Taylor started the real duel in Jacksonville in the last three years. Pro Football Focus, which ranked Jacksonville’s O-Line 24th overall last season, viewed Taylor as the team’s weakest link up front in 2021. Of course, no Jaguar blocker did particularly well here. Added Jacksonville Brandon Scherf but could upgrade at his other guard point. Ekwonu played tackle and guard in college; Some see Guard as his better NFL position.