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Who will the Jaguars take in the 2024 NFL Draft? Latest 7-round mock draft for Jacksonville
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- Who will the Jaguars take in the 2024 NFL Draft? Latest 7-round mock draft for Jacksonville
Another Monday before the 2024 NFL Draft means another Monday Florida Times-Union seven-round mock draft for the Jacksonville Jaguars .
In the first installment of our NFL mock draft series, TU mock 1.0 , we selected wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. out of LSU, filling out the rest of the draft with various players to fill positions of need.
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Latest mock draft roundup: Who are the Jacksonville Jaguars projected to pick in 2024 NFL Draft? Mock drafts weigh in
Each Monday in the lead-up to the draft, the Times-Union will publish a mock for the Jaguars, attempting to get a better idea of how things could shake out for the hometown team.
After signing numerous outside free agents, Jacksonville filled most of the team's perceived holes and will have plenty of options and avenues to field the best 53-man roster in September.
Note: This mock draft is based on positions and players the Times-Union would select if running the Jaguars based on their perceived needs, not necessarily based on information provided by the team or otherwise. The mock was done using a simulator via Pro Football Network.
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Times-Union Jaguars seven-round mock draft 2.0
The Jaguars' needs have not changed in a week and won't change before 8 p.m. on April 25, the start of Round 1. Still, there are a multitude of avenues the team can take to address those needs.
Jacksonville has eight total selections, including three in the top 96. Jacksonville kicks off their draft weekend with the 17th overall pick in the first round. They own two fourth-round picks and one pick in the other rounds.
Round 1, Pick 17: Jared Verse , DE, Florida State
Dec 2, 2023; Charlotte, NC, USA; Florida State Seminoles defensive lineman Jared Verse (5) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Louisville Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Many will be stunned if the Jaguars go with former Florida State Seminoles pass rusher Jared Verse after months of speculation surrounding the team's receiver and cornerback position groups. But Verse, 6-foot-4, 254 pounds, has all the tools for early success and helps fill a current, and perhaps future, need at defensive end.
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His athleticism jumped out at the NFL Combine after he scored a 9.53 RAS score thanks to his impressive athleticism numbers.
The Jaguars enter this season with two proven pass rushers in Travon Walker and Josh Allen at defensive end in Ryan Nielsen's scheme. The team signed free agent OLB Trevis Gipson for depth purposes, but have no other experienced players on the roster after allowing K'Lavon Chaisson and Dawuane Smoot to hit free agency.
Neither mattered much in the way of pass-rush last year, either, though. According to Pro Football Focus, Allen finished fifth in the league in pressures and 7th in win rate. Walker finished 22nd in pressures, 83rd in win-rate and then there was a significant drop off. Both Smoot and Chaisson finished 107th in pressures with Chaission finishing 100th in win rate, Smoot finished at 106.
Enter Verse, who would immediately boost Jacksonville's pass-rush efforts to greater heights. A transfer from Albany, Verse burst onto the scenes in 2022 with the Seminoles, accounting for 17 tackles for loss and nine sacks before turning in his 2023 campaign with 12.5 tackles for loss and another set of nine sacks.
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Round 2, Pick 48: Kamari Lassiter , CB, Georgia
ATHENS, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 05: Kamari Lassiter #3 of the Georgia Bulldogs reacts after a play against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second quarter at Sanford Stadium on November 05, 2022 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
The Jaguars must address the corner position early and often and they do so here at pick No. 48 with Georgia's Kamari Lassiter still on the board.
Lassiter, 5-foot-11, 186 pounds is a little light and not as long as one would like to deploy, but has an edge to him that allows for great press coverage and ability to drop back in zone. He's also not afraid to tackle , which is important for a player his size and playing in Nielsen's scheme .
At Georgia, Lassiter accounted for 86 total tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, one interception and 14 pass breakups in 44 games. He started all 15 games for Georgia in 2022 and 2023. In 2023, Lassiter was voted as a Coaches All-SEC Secon Team selection.
Lassiter received mixed reviews at his Pro Day after posting 40-yard dash times in the 4.61 to 4.63-second range , but his talent shows up on tape thanks to his ability to mirror outside receivers, showcasing fantastic movement and ball skills even while only owning one career interception.
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Round 3, Pick 96: Roman Wilson , WR, Michigan
Photo: Isaiah Hole
At some point during the draft, the Jaguars would do well in drafting a receiver, or two.
Wilson, 5-foot-11, 185 pounds was a speedster at Michigan. He posted a 4.39 40-yard dash at the Combine and averaged 16 yards per catch in four years with the Wolverines. Wilson caught 107 passes for 1,707 yards and 20 touchdowns in 46 games.
Wilson's best season came last year after he posted 48 receptions for 789 yards and 12 touchdowns. His average depth of target was 13.9 yards. Though smaller, Wilson can give the Jaguars a player outside to help franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence after the team lost Calvin Ridley in free agency in March.
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Round 4, pick 114: DeWayne Carter , DT, Duke
After releasing veteran defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi, the Jaguars signed defensive lineman Arik Armstead to fill in some of the void. The issue is, Jacksonville's depth at the position was lacking in 2023 and Armstead is on the other side of 30.
Jacksonville still has to load up the team with depth and Duke's DeWayne Carter is the man to get the job done. At 6-foot-2, 303 pounds, Carter is a stocky defensive lineman with plenty of length (33-inch arms) to entice Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke. Coupled with his impressive athleticism, it makes sense.
Carter was one of the standouts at the Senior Bowl this year after playing five years at Duke, posting 125 total tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks.
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Round 4, pick 116: Matt Goncalves , OT, Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh offensive lineman Matt Goncalves (76) blocks at the line of scrimmage against Duke.
We wanted to be different in this week's mock, but it's impossible to pass up on Goncalves out of Pittsburgh.
The Jaguars have an issue at tackle. Neither starter Cam Robinson nor swing tackle Walker Little are set to be on the roster in 2025. Goncalves can give Jacksonville a security blanket at the position, allowing them to field the best five players.
Round 5, pick 153: Deantre Prince, CB, Ole Miss
Sep 9, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Mississippi Rebels cornerback Deantre Prince (7) intercepts a pass against the Tulane Green Wave during the second half at Yulman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Getting in the weeds a bit, the Jaguars address corner again in the fifth round. Deantre Prince out of Ole Miss is someone the Jaguars showed interest in pre-draft, bringing the former Rebel in for a 30-visit with the team. 30 visits are an allocated number (30) of visits each team has to offer to players outside of locals.
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Prince, 6-foot, 183 pounds posted good measurables at the Combine with a 4.39 40-yard dash and a 10-foot-5-inch broad jump. Prince played in 51 games at Ole Miss, accounting for 146 total tackles, six tackles for loss, 21 pass breakups and six interceptions.
Round 6, pick 212: Ryan Flournoy, WR, SE Missouri State
Southeast Missouri State wide receiver Ryan Flournoy (1) attempts to catch the ball during the Iowa State, Southeast Missouri State game on Saturday, September 3, 2022 at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa. The Cyclones defeated the Redhawks, 42-10.
At this point in the draft, there are certain gems you look for rather than simply big-name players.
Southeast Missouri State receiver Ryan Flournoy might be your guy.
Flournoy, 6-foot-1, 202 pounds, posted a 4.44 40-yard dash with a 40-inch verticle jump. He had a low drop rate in college at 1.7% He caught 57 passes for 839 yards and six touchdowns last season.
In two years with SEMO after a year at the JUCO level, Flournoy caught 118 passes for 1,823 yards and 13 scores.
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Round 7, pick 236: Frank Gore Jr. , RB, Southern Mississippi
Sept. 2, 2023 - HATTIESBURG, MS. - Southern Miss Golden Eagles running back Frank Gore Jr. (3) runs while defended by Alcorn State Braves defensive lineman Tyler Smith (58) and defensive back Wallace Melton (10) at M.M. Roberts Stadium. Photos by Chuck Cook
This is pandering.
The Jaguars were gifted the option of selecting Trevor Lawrence in 2021 thanks in large part to Frank Gore Sr. paving the way to a Jets victory late in that season. The rest is history.
Now, a few years later, Gore's son is vying for a chance to compete in the big leagues. He's good, too.
Gore Jr., 5-foot-8, 201 pounds, posted an unofficial 4.58-second 40-yard dash at his Pro Day , which would have ranked 17th among backs at the Combine.
Like his father before him, Gore was a highly productive player in college, posting 4,022 yards and 26 touchdowns in four years with Southern Miss.
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The Jaguars drafted Tank Bigsby in the third round last year, but have yet to find a back behind Travis Etienne that can carry the load. Maybe Gore can.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars mock draft 2024: Jared Verse stands out in latest draft projections
