2024 Jacksonville Jaguars Mock Draft: Big Additions Up Front

With the Jaguars’ 2023 season ending in disappointment, there are a lot of positions to address in the 2024 offseason. Both sides of the ball deserve attention, and the 2024 NFL draft presents an opportunity for the Jaguars to make their roster better. In this Jaguars mock draft, the Jaguars will address key needs along both lines, as well as add much-needed depth to the cornerback room.

Jaguars Mock Draft Round One Pick 17: C Jackson Powers-Johnson

With the Jaguars’ first-round pick in this Jaguars mock draft, the Jaguars select a center from Oregon Jackson Powers-Johnson. The Jaguars have a desperate need to upgrade the interior offensive line, and the most dire of those needs is center. With Luck Fortner being a massive disappointment, and the offense struggling due to the poor play of the interior offensive line, investing in the most important position along the interior is something the Jaguars need to do in the 2024 offseason.

In this scenario, the Jaguars address the center position by taking the best center in the 2024 NFL draft, Jackson Powers-Johnson. The 6-foot-3 center is coming off a 13-game season where he played 829 snaps, all at center. Powers-Johnson is a young prospect at 21 years old and is also not lacking in size coming in at 320 pounds. A massive piece in the center of the Jaguars’ offensive line is something the Jaguars desperately need, and Jackson Powers-Johnson can take over for Luke Fortner and become the center for the Jaguars in 2024 and beyond.

Jackson Powers-Johnson had an incredible 2023 season for the Oregon Ducks. One of the most telling stats is that according to PFF, Jackson Powers-Johnson allowed only one pressure all season long. Having a center that can maintain great pass-blocking would be a massive boon for the Jaguars offense, as Trevor Lawrence faced pressure from the center position at one of the league’s worst rates.

Jaguars Mock Draft Round Two Pick 48: WR Ja’Lynn Polk

A somewhat frustrating first season for Calvin Ridley, along with Zay Jones playing poorly when he rarely made it onto the field in 2024 has left the Jaguars with a soft need for wide receiver in the 2024 offseason. While Calvin Ridley could end up leaving for another team, the Jaguars will most likely sign Ridley after the new league year begins in March, to ensure that they only have to give up their third-round pick instead of their second-round pick. For this Jaguars mock draft, the Jaguars will be signing Ridley after the new league year, saving their second.

After resigning Ridley, the Jaguars could decide that Zay Jones is a cut or trade candidate. If Jones isn’t a Jaguar in 2024, wide receiver becomes a big need in the 2024 offseason. Ja’Lynn Polk is one of the best options to fill the hole that Zay Jones’s absence would create. A younger, cheaper, potentially better player for a Jaguars offense that is trying to find its identity.

The six-foot-two receiver out of Washington is the second-round pick in this Jaguars mock draft. Polk is an explosive deep threat that had an incredible 2023 with Michael Penix and the rest of the National Championship Washington Huskies. Another target for Trevor Lawrence can help a stagnated offense get the ball rolling with Zay Jones out of the picture.

Jaguars Mock Draft Round Three Pick 96: DL T’Vondre Sweat

Switching to the defensive side of the ball, the Jaguars begin addressing their issues by adding a massive interior defensive lineman in T’Vondre Sweat. Sweat is a six-foot-four, 362-pound interior defensive lineman from Texas, and would immediately plug the hole in the Jaguars’ interior defensive line that’s hurting for young talent.

With Travon Walker and Josh Allen on the edges, the interior is the only issue for the Jaguars defensive line. Adding T’Vondre Sweat would be a big help towards making the Jaguars defensive line even better in 2024. This Jaguars mock draft has addressed the offensive side of the ball, and with T’Vondre Sweat it’s now addressed one of, if not the biggest need on the defensive side of the ball.

Jaguars Mock Draft Round Four Picks 115 & 117: CB D.J. James and OG Cooper Beebe

In the fourth round of the Jaguars mock draft, the Jaguars pick nearly back to back with picks 115 and 117. For the Jaguars first pick of the fourth round, the Jaguars select D.J. James, a cornerback out of Auburn. James is an excellent cover corner, and in the defensive scheme with new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, man coverage will be more important for the defensive backs. D.J. James was a top-graded corner according to PFF when it came to not just man coverage, but coverage as a whole.

D.J. James fills the depth at the cornerback position, while also providing quality insurance in the case that one of the Jaguars’ top corners goes down with an injury. James is a primary outside cornerback, which the Jaguars ended up needing after a disappointing 2023 from Tyson Campbell thanks to injuries and inconsistent play. D.J. James would be a great fit for the Jaguars defensively and is the first fourth-round pick of this Jaguars mock draft.

With pick 117, the Jaguars go back to the offensive line and select Cooper Beebe, a guard from Kansas State. Beebe is an offensive lineman who had the third-highest pass-blocking grade among offensive guards according to PFF in 2023 and also was the second-highest-graded guard. Adding a proficient and elite offensive lineman down the board is rare, and Beebe might rise the boards as the offseason continues, but getting Beebe in the fourth round might be the best Jaguars pick so far, and is a huge addition for the offensive line.

While Cooper Beebe might not start right away, having the option for him to compete for the offensive guard positions is a necessary concept for the Jaguars in 2024. Even with Jackson Powers-Johnson being selected in the first round, Cooper Beebe fills a need along the offensive line and would be a great pick for the Jaguars at 117.

Jaguars Mock Draft Round Five Pick 152: CB Nehemiah Pritchett

For the second time in the Jagaurs mock draft, the Jaguars select an Auburn cornerback. This time, it’s Nehemiah Pritchett, a senior with experience both in the slot and outside, who also had 29 pass break-ups in the SEC. Another cornerback to add to a room that is in dire need of depth, and it pairs college teammates together in the NFL, a trend that’s been growing more common than ever in recent years.

Pritchett is a depth addition at corner and will help the Jaguars round out a defensive backfield that should rebound from a disappointing 2023 in 2024. When targeted, he allowed a 58.8 passer rating had one interception, and gave up only one touchdown. Pritchett won’t be the Jaguars starting cornerback in 2024, but he will be more than just a solid depth piece for a Jaguars cornerback room in need of depth.

Jaguars Mock Draft Round Six Picks 192 & 211: ED Solomon Byrd & RB Frank Gore Jr.

With the Jaguars mock draft entering the sixth round, the last couple of picks will be used to fill periphery needs and address any other positions of interest for the Jaguars. The most important position left to address is the defensive edge. Solomon Byrd out of USC is the edge pick for the Jaguars in the sixth round. He adds depth to a position group that could use more depth, just like the cornerback room. Byrd had seven sacks and 22 hurries in his 2023 season where he broke out as a talented pass rusher.

At pick 211, the Jaguars add Frank Gore Jr., Southern Mississippi, to their running back room. Travis Etienne Jr. had a breakout in 2023 and was given the ball a lot throughout the season. To mitigate the wear and tear, Tank Bigsby and D’Ernest Johnson were given more work down the stretch. To add more value to those touches, adding a dynamic running back like Frank Gore Jr. down the board is a good use of a late pick. Gore is the son of legendary running back Frank Gore, and while living up to his father’s legacy may be out of reach, if he’s even half as good it would be a home-run pick in the sixth round.

Jaguars Mock Draft Round Seven Pick 234: LB Darius Muasau

Lastly, the Jaguars add linebacker Darius Muasau with their last pick of the 2024 Jaguars mock draft. Mausau is a linebacker out of UCLA with great coverage skills and would be another linebacker in a room that’s incredibly talented with Foyesade Oluokun and Devin Lloyd. While not a big need, adding depth can’t hurt, especially with the possibility of one of those two linebackers leaving for free agency in the future. Muasau is the last pick of the first Jaguars mock draft for the 2024 NFL draft and is wrapping up an evenly balanced draft class that addresses needs all across the board.