2011 Jacksonville Jaguars NFL Draft Needs
The Jacksonville Jaguars are on the clock with the 16th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Let’s take a look at their biggest needs and how they might choose to address those needs on draft day.
1. Safety: The Jaguars finished 28th in the league against the pass in 2010, allowing 250.2 yards per game through the air. They were completely picked apart by opposing quarterbacks due to a combination of a poor pass rush and outmatched defensive backs. Free safety is a top need area for the Jags, but it likely wouldn’t make sense for them to spend their first round pick on the position. After all, they have other big needs at spots where better players are available. It would, however, make sense for Jacksonville to go after a player like Oklahoma safety Quinton Carter in round three. He has good size at 6-foot-1 and 208 pounds and is said to be an intense competitor. He is also a good character guy.
2. Defensive End: The Jaguars have been trying to improve their pass rush for several years now and haven’t been able to catch a break. Draft picks haven’t paid off and they lost former Pro Bowl defensive end Aaron Kampman to a knee injury last season. Jacksonville only tallied 26 sacks a year ago and that’s just not going to cut it when playing in the same division as Peyton Manning. Defensive end may not be Jacksonville’s biggest need but it would likely be the best way for it to spend its first round pick. Guys like Purdue’s Ryan Kerrigan and Missouri’s Aldon Smith offer great value at this stage of the first round. The Jags could also take a shot at Clemson’s Da’Quan Bowers is he slides due to questions about his knee. Kerrigan is an NFL-ready prospect which should immediately push for a starting spot opposite Kampman. Smith has the larger upside with the potential to be an elite pass rusher but the Jags may not be in a position to wait for his development. They’re getting a player stacked with raw talent if they do take him. He likely wouldn’t start in 2011 but could be a force in pass rushing situations.
3. Linebacker: The Jaguars’ struggles against the pass get most of the attention but the run defense has issues as well. In fact, Jacksonville allowed 4.7 yards per carry in 2010 (30th in the NFL). With Kirk Morrison heading for free agency, the team could stand to bolster its linebacker corps. Washington’s Mason Foster would offer value in the second round. He’s not the answer in the middle but could be a good fit on the weak side.
4. Wide Receiver: The numbers Maurice Jones-Drew is able to put up are amazing considering how much teams are able to key on him. The Jags need to add another playmaker on the outside to take some of the pressure off of their workhorse back. Wide receivers like Maryland’s Torrey Smith or Pittsburgh’s Jonathan Baldwin make sense in round two and North Carolina’s Greg Little would show good value in the third round.
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