• Round 1, Pick 26: OT Graham Barton, Duke — Barton plays left tackle for the Duke Blue Devils, but his long-term position in the NFL is likely at guard due to a lack of arm length.
• Round 2, Pick 58: WR Troy Franklin, Oregon — Franklin has been one of the most dynamic receivers in college football over the past two years, and adding new passing weapons for Trevor Lawrence should be a priority for Jacksonville in 2024.
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The Jacksonville Jaguars still have their eyes set on the 2024 playoffs, but around these parts, it’s never too early to look at some near-future draft additions, especially for contending teams.
Here’s a five-round Jaguars mock draft.
Round 1, Pick 26: OT Graham Barton, Duke
The Jaguars have a few potential first-round options, and improving their interior offensive line is a top priority.
Barton plays left tackle for the Duke Blue Devils, but his long-term position in the NFL is likely at guard due to a lack of arm length. That is the area where Barton gets beat the most, but even that doesn’t happen often. He has great core strength and balance, is a fiery blocker and possesses about as good of grip strength as you’ll see. Once he gets his hands on a defender, he’s not letting go. He can be an NFL starter at guard or center. We’ll get to see him at both spots at the Senior Bowl.
Round 2, Pick 58: WR Troy Franklin, Oregon
Franklin has been one of the most dynamic receivers in college football over the past two years, and adding new passing weapons for Trevor Lawrence should be a priority for Jacksonville in 2024.
Franklin ranks second to only Washington’s Rome Odunze in explosive plays of 15 yards or more (60) over the past two years. He is a smooth vertical threat receiver who already shows a good understanding of releases at the line of scrimmage to get off press and get behind man coverage. He also has great footwork for sideline catches. Franklin ranks in the top five among Pac-12 receivers in yards after the catch from 2022-2023.
Round 3, Pick 90: EDGE Adisa Isaac, Penn State
Edge defender Chop Robinson gets most of the hype along Penn State’s defensive line. But Isaac is a future NFL player in his own right — and he might be the more consistent player right now. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound redshirt senior had his best all-around season in 2023, earning an 81.8 overall grade, an 80.2 run-defense grade and a 73.4 pass-rush grade. His pass-rush win rate remains lower, at around 13%, but he will be a solid NFL depth player with a chance to develop into a starter.
Round 3, Pick 96: CB Nehemiah Pritchett, Auburn
Fellow Auburn defensive backs D.J. James and Jaylin Simpson have made more splash plays this season, but Pritchett is one of my favorite mid-round prospects in this class.
Pritchett missed a few games to start the season due to an undisclosed injury but has earned a cumulative 79.1 coverage grade over the past two seasons. He is slender, measuring 6-foot-1 and 184 pounds, but he is very comfortable using his length as a press-man defender. He also has four years of starting experience with 31 total forced incompletions during that stretch. He is in the mold of a cornerback the Jaguars should go after.
Round 4, Pick 112: DI Howard Cross III, Notre Dame
I expect Jacksonville to double-dip on the defensive line this upcoming draft, especially if they don’t move their picks to future years. Cross started the year hot. The 6-foot, 288-pound graduate senior defensive tackle earned two elite PFF pass-rushing grades within the first five weeks of the season. In those outings, he recorded 20.0%-plus pass-rush win rates.
Cross is a bit of a size outlier for the position, but what he lacks in size he makes up for in quickness. He is likely a depth and package player to start, but we have seen smaller defensive tackles succeed as one-gap penetrating three-techniques in the NFL.
Round 4, Pick 126: S Malik Mustapha, Wake Forest
Mustapha is a throwback tone-setter over the middle from his strong safety spot. It takes only one look at him to know that his hits hurt. He earned an 88.5 run-defense grade this season with six tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and 21 solo stops. Safety looked like a major need for the Jaguars at the beginning of the season, but additions there now feel more like a mid-round priority.
Round 5, Pick 163: EDGE Jaylen Harrell, Michigan
Harrell was a late bloomer for the Michigan Wolverines. The 6-foot-4, 242-pound edge defender broke out this year, jumping from a 68.7 pass-rush grade in 2022 as a first-year starter to an 88.7 pass-rush grade this season as a second-year starter. He is a smaller edge defender, so he will likely be more of a draft-and-develop depth player, but the arrow is pointing up for him.
Jacksonville will certainly be open to snagging efficient pass-rushers, even in specialized roles.
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