This Time Last Year - Draft Talk
JT: Things were a little different this time last year
This time last year Aiden Hutchinson was well on his way to becoming a Jaguar. Doug Pederson was a mere mortal (why isn’t his statue up in Jacksonville yet?). Season tickets were less expensive. Some people were still swiping left on Dewey Wingard being a Jag. Trent Baalke was synonymous with Bozo, Ronald McD., Krusty, and Pennywise. DTWDs “Victory Monday” t-shirt was on a milk carton because nobody had reason to wear them. This time last year JaguarsTalk did not exist (yet has managed to maintain the same number of readers it has today. Consistency is truly the key to success, right?).
This April, however, the April that resides in the year of our lord 2023, that teal colored “Victory Monday” t-shirt lives on milk cartons because it’s always sold out and can’t nobody get ahold of one. We have T. Walker at linebacker (JaguarsTalk is overly anxious to see what he can do this season. And don’t think for a second that everyone and their mother isn’t comparing his year to that of A. Hutch). Doug Pederson delivered the promised land in his first year as Jags head coach. Jacksonville played and won, in spectacular fashion the first home playoff game in an excruciatingly long time. Dewey will have a statue built outside the stadium right next to Dougs, or at the very least, I will buy a Dewey jersey to wear to games. This year I will take out a HELOC loan to get a couple season tickets in a mediocre section that doesn’t include a parking pass, in order to see what Trent Baalke’s masterclass 2023 draft picks can do on the gridiron against the likes of the KC Chiefs, Baltimore, Cincinnati, and San Francisco. This year, like the last, I look forward to wearing a Victory Monday t-shirt, though this year, unlike last, I hope to wear it more often in weeks 4-8. So what needs to happen for us to have reason to don our favorite shirt?
First and foremost we need to see extreme growth and production from Jacksonville’s two 2022 first round draft picks. Both Travon Walker and Devin Lloyd need to live up to their selection numbers. They both have the ability and intelligence. They both have the drive and work ethic. We need to see improvement from them the likes of which we saw from Jacksonville’s two 2021 first round draft picks (T-Law and ETN) in their sophomore season. Tangentially, is anyone against drafting Travis Etienne’s little brother Trevor once he declares? I, for one, think having a second ETN at a lesser price point with the same, if not better, production is a grand idea. And who wouldn’t want to play pro ball with their brother? Make it easy on the Etienne family. One trip to one stadium for one game. Ain’t nobody looking to repeat a Momma Kelce incident. This might be a win win for Dougie P. Just a thought. I don’t often have them, but when I do they are “Jack Handy” deep. If 33 and 44 start leaping buildings in a single bound then that somewhat relieves the pressure felt by the loss of Arden “culture changing” Key and allows Baalke to shift direct focus on acquiring a lockdown secondary. If this is the route JAX chooses, the focus will be on two guys.
The first of these two, Brian Branch out of Alabama, is a long shot to drop to the Jags who currently sit at 24. Some mock drafts have him going as early as sixteen to the Washington Stupid New Names. Brian is a CB/S with decent size and speed. He has the ability to play nickel corner which is a big need in the Jacksonville area. He can man-up just as well as he can play zone coverage, whether it be on slot guys, tight ends, or speedy downfield threats. Branch checks all the boxes as a run defender as well. He can play on the line, in the box, be a blitz threat and fill the gaps. Better yet he is NFL ready and can start on day one. Really the only negatives are his mediocre size of 6’0 190 lbs and 40-yard dash time (4.58). The NFL will certainly put some weight on his frame, especially if he ends up in the safety position more than the corner spot. Alas, I don’t see this guy falling to #24.
The consensus pick seems to be Maryland cornerback Deonte Banks. With a 6’0 frame and weighing in at 197lbs. he has elite speed clocking a 4.35 40-yard dash with a 42” vertical. Banks is a true corner back with a little more polishing needed than Brian Branch. Banks should also be ready to step on the field in week one considering the current Jaguars CB room. I’ve seen some mock drafts also suggest Tyrique Stevenson, a CB out of Miami, though he is not nearly as polished and ready to play as both Branch and Banks. If Baalke focus’ on corner then one of these guys should be in a Jags uni by the end of April.
The good thing about picking 24th in the draft is that you have a good team, a playoff team. It’s a double edged sword however because you have so many choices. What if O’Cyrus Torrence, a monster guard out of the University of Florida is available? He is a massive interior force that will help to protect the Jaguars main investment, Trevor Lawrence, for years to come. Is he someone you can afford to pass up? What of the tight end position? Jacksonville was not able to reach a deal with Evan Engram and thus had to franchise tag Eazy-E. If they can’t reach a long term deal by the draft then might Utah’s Dalton Kincaid be enticing, if still available at the 24th pick? The bottom line is that having a pick this low forces you to either definitively decide that your focus is on one needed position or decide that you are taking the best athlete available. If those two criteria happen to be the same player then all the better for Jacksonville. I don’t envy Baalke’s decision here as I think you can provide really good arguments for selecting a few different players in this spot. I guess it will all depend upon how early the run on tight ends and cornerbacks begins. I see a scenario where the Jaguars can snag both Torrence and Banks by packaging their lower round picks and trading up.
What position do you guys want to fill first? Let us know in the comment section below.