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When Jacksonville Jaguars' GM James Gladstone met with reporters last Thursday following the initial wave of NFL free agency, did he hint at where the team's emphasis might lie in the NFL draft?
If he did, I don't think it's going to surprise anyone.
In an effort to raise the roster's floor, the Jaguars made nine signings right away as free agency began. The positions they targeted were the offensive line, secondary, and tight end groups, along with bringing in Dyami Brown at wide receiver and Nick Mullens to backup Trevor Lawrence.
Obviously, there is one major positional need coming into free agency that still hasn't been addressed, and that is the defensive line. While not asked specifically about the defensive line, Gladstone was asked about making any more free-agent additions moving forward, and he mentioned that doing so could block playing time for any early-round rookies.
"We're going to have to have some spots that are actually open for [draft picks] to insert," Gladstone said. "So [adding] a veteran at this point could be just standing in the way. We're going to allow these rookies to get a chance to get out on the field and help us this coming fall."
Again, Gladstone didn't say, 'we're going to draft multiple defensive tackles right away,' but we know it's a position he wants to prioritize this offseason, it's still a big need following free agency where improved play is a must, and this year's draft class at that position has a ton of depth, so the recipe for the Jaguars to do just that very much exists with an early-round rookie or two having the opportunity to carve out a role and playing time.
Collectively, this was a Jaguars' defensive front last season that ranked 32nd in ESPN's pass rush win rate metric and 27th in run stop rate.
I also think Gladstone's comment could be applied, to a lesser extent, to the wide receiver position. While there are options on the roster when it comes to filling that No. 2 role behind Brian Thomas Jr., adding competition should still be on Gladstone's radar, given some of the unknowns that exist when it comes to the depth of that room.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars NFL draft: Did James Gladstone hint at prioritizing DL?
Continue reading...
If he did, I don't think it's going to surprise anyone.
In an effort to raise the roster's floor, the Jaguars made nine signings right away as free agency began. The positions they targeted were the offensive line, secondary, and tight end groups, along with bringing in Dyami Brown at wide receiver and Nick Mullens to backup Trevor Lawrence.
Obviously, there is one major positional need coming into free agency that still hasn't been addressed, and that is the defensive line. While not asked specifically about the defensive line, Gladstone was asked about making any more free-agent additions moving forward, and he mentioned that doing so could block playing time for any early-round rookies.
"We're going to have to have some spots that are actually open for [draft picks] to insert," Gladstone said. "So [adding] a veteran at this point could be just standing in the way. We're going to allow these rookies to get a chance to get out on the field and help us this coming fall."
Again, Gladstone didn't say, 'we're going to draft multiple defensive tackles right away,' but we know it's a position he wants to prioritize this offseason, it's still a big need following free agency where improved play is a must, and this year's draft class at that position has a ton of depth, so the recipe for the Jaguars to do just that very much exists with an early-round rookie or two having the opportunity to carve out a role and playing time.
Collectively, this was a Jaguars' defensive front last season that ranked 32nd in ESPN's pass rush win rate metric and 27th in run stop rate.
I also think Gladstone's comment could be applied, to a lesser extent, to the wide receiver position. While there are options on the roster when it comes to filling that No. 2 role behind Brian Thomas Jr., adding competition should still be on Gladstone's radar, given some of the unknowns that exist when it comes to the depth of that room.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars NFL draft: Did James Gladstone hint at prioritizing DL?
Continue reading...
