The primary objective for the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason? Protecting their investment in last year’s No. 1 overall pick, quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
To that end, most mock drafts have projected the Jags to spend this year’s top pick on an offensive lineman, such as North Carolina State’s Ickey Ekwonu or Alabama’s Evan Neal. They’ve also been popular landing spots for a top wide receiver prospect with the first pick of the second round, thanks to a deep and talented class of pass-catchers.
However, it looks like Jacksonville wants to surround Lawrence with veterans on his side of the ball.
First came the franchise tag for left tackle Cam Robinson for the second straight year, then came the NFL’s “legal tampering” period began Monday. Offensive lineman Brandon Scherff and wide receiver Christian Kirk are both expected to get big-money deals from the Jags when free agency officially begins Wednesday.
That could lead free up the Jags to spend the No. 1 pick on Michigan edge defender Aidan Hutchinson, as NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah points out:
With their early moves in Free Agency, what does it mean for the @Jaguars with the top pick in the #NFLDraft?@Movethesticks thinks it's pretty clear ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/PKIuAvtEJH
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) March 14, 2022
This is what free agency is all about: Filling your biggest needs, so that you’re freed up to prioritize talent and value on draft day, instead of reaching to fill those needs.
