Tonight, the Jaguars looked to take this rebuild to a whole ‘nother level. With the 26th pick in the 1st Round, the Jags got the guy they were looking for. They selected Xavier Worthy, the standout Wide Reciever out of Texas. That was not the only piece that they added to their offense. With their 15th pick in the 4th Round, the Jags selected Wide Reciever J. Michael Sturdivant out of UCLA. I’m being told that the Jaguars feel that they stole one of the best receivers in the draft and plan on him being with them for the long run. And with their 26th pick in the 4th Round, the Jags selected Tight End, Oronde Gadsden II out of Syracuse. The Jags love the potential that he has and have declared him as the starter over Engram to start the season.
The Jaguars hope that these offensive picks will help Trevor Lawrence take another step this season. They now have a receiving core of Jaxon Smith-Njigba (from the Seahawks trade), Christian Kirk, Xavier Worthy, and J. Michael Sturdivant. Rumors are swirling that the Jags will try to move on from Kirk before the trade deadline to free up more minutes for Sturdivant. Nonetheless, from last season to this season, Lawrence definitely has more weapons.
The offense was not the only thing that the Jaguars were focused on. In the second round, with their 28th pick, the Jaguars selected Maason Smith. The Jaguars needed help on the defensive line and Smith is the perfect guy for them. Look for him to be up there in the DROY candidates at the end of the season. In the 3rd round, with their 32nd pick, the Jaguars selected Brandon Dorius. The Jaguars will pair Dorius next to Maason Smith and Travon Walker (moved from MLB) in hopes that they will be able to generate more pressure this season.
The Jaguars did select some players later in the draft that we could be talking about in a couple of weeks. For now, they look like reaches, but with great development, they can become superstars in this league. This team is very young, which is a reason why they brought in players like Bobby Wagner and Chris Harris in Free Agency to help the young guys. Obviously, they won’t be playing, but have made it their mission to give the young guys the ins and outs on the field and off the field.
It’s time baby! The rebuild in Jacksonville is looking bright so far. But how will they perform on the field? Time will tell. Let’s Go Jags!