Jaguars double-down on last year's bet in A to Z Sports' final mock draft
Draft Day is almost here! And here at A to Z Sports, we celebrated that with our final mock draft of the year. In it, every writer of the site got involved making the pick for the respective team they cover. You can read it in full right here. And I've got to say, I feel […]
Draft Day is almost here! And here at A to Z Sports, we celebrated that with our final mock draft of the year. In it, every writer of the site got involved making the pick for the respective team they cover. You can read it in full right here.
And I've got to say, I feel pretty good about the pick I made representing the Jacksonville Jaguars. First of all (spoiler alert), it addresses the clear need to improve the team's pass defense.
Secondly, it keeps a couple of particular trends going for the Jaguars, which we'll get to in a few moments. But first, let's review a few of the notable names that were off the board when the Jaguars went on the clock at 24th overall.
- EDGE Nolan Smith, Georgia
- EDGE Lukas Van Ness, Iowa
- CB Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
- CB Deonte Banks, Maryland
- TE Dalton Kincaid, Utah
- WR Zay Flowers, Boston College
Other names weren't an option anymore but those are perhaps the most "realistic" and most frequently mocked prospects to the Jags. At that point, the decision came down to two prospects for me: DB Brian Branch (Alabama) and EDGE Myles Murphy (Clemson).
So without any further ado, let's get to it. Pick is in… With the 24th overall pick the Jacksonville Jaguars select… Myles Murphy.
That's right. One year after banking on Travon Walker’s athletic traits with the No. 1 overall pick, the Jaguars do it again. Murphy’s got the size and length that could translate into a nightmare for opposing offenses and pairing him with Walker should go a long way against the pass.
For those keeping score at home, that means the Jags are keeping two trends alive: 1) Taking Clemson players and on a much more relevant note, 2) Banking on a player's athleticism and size to develop into something special. Last year, they passed on Aidan Hutchinson to favor Walker's athleticism. It was a risky projection and one that is still causing controversy a year later.
"Overall, Murphy lacks efficient move-to-move transitions as a pass rusher, but he is naturally gifted with the explosive traits, play speed, and length to be a disruptive leverage-power rusher in the NFL," writes Dane Brugler of The Athletic in his draft guide. "He projects as a base end in a four-man front with the floor of an NFL starter."
Murphy would provide the Jaguars with plenty of versatility, too. At Clemson, he lined up just about everywhere, including at three-technique. He's certainly a realistic name to link to the Jaguars as his expected draft position per Grinding the Mocks is 21st overall.
