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NFL teams want the elite quarterback first.
Then they usually want the edge rusher who will go get the other team’s elite quarterback.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are no different. They have drafted 21 players listed as a defensive end, edge rusher or outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme in their history, five in the first round and one, Travon Walker in 2022, as the No. 1 overall selection.
Few have panned out. Tony Brackens was a steal in the second round in 1996. Josh Hines-Allen was rewarded with a huge second contract last year but his production dropped off from 17.5 sacks in 2023 to eight last year. Walker led the team with 10.5 sacks last year but is 24 sacks in three years under-achieving for a No. 1 overall pick?
Then there were the busts: Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves as the top two picks in 2008 (Harvey had eight sacks in three years, Groves 2.5 in two before they were cut loose). Renaldo Wynn at No. 1 in 1997 (15 sacks in five years) and K’Lavon Chaisson in 2020 (five sacks in four years).
Jaguars in 2025 NFL Draft: Seven-round mock after pre-draft luncheon
There’s little doubt the Jaguars will take an edge rusher to complement Hines-Allen and Walker (or push them) in the 2025 draft and there is enough talent to snatch a player projected as elite high in the first round or players with decent grades and production in later rounds.
It's just one of the many questions swirling about their intentions before the first round on April 24.
With multiple needs, it’s a good guess. But if Penn State’s Abdul Carter drops below the top four picks, the temptation will be strong. Carter led the nation in tackles for losses with 23.5, had 12 sacks and was the Big Ten defensive Player of the Year. He's the clear favorite to be the first edge rusher off the board.
Even Walker (no relation to Travon Walker) might get some consideration. He was used in multiple roles by Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart but there is speculation that like Travon Walker, he may come to the NFL as a jack of all trades and master of none. One other upside: Smart has raved about Walker’s character, and he is the son of a coach.
Mike Green of Marshall has been a mid-to-high first round project. He was a good enough athlete to have starred at wide receiver in high school and ran a 4.77 40-yard dash at the combine. Green led the nation with 17 sacks but has raised character concerns from his time at Virginia.
Some mock drafts have had Walker’s Georgia teammate Mykel Williams going ahead of him in the first round. Williams has more career sacks (14 to 12.5) than Walker and is 20 pounds heavier, 4 inches taller.
If the Jaguars trade back, there are good late first-round prospects in Donovan Ezeriruaku of Boston College (second in the nation in sacks with 16.5), or Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr., who had the fastest 40-yard dash time (4.47) at the combine.
The draft seems deep at the edge, with Dane Brugler forecasting 34 edge rushers to be taken, 14 in the first or second rounds.
Some second- or third-day possibilities include former Florida Gator Princely Umanmielen (6-3, 244), who had 10.5 sacks for Ole Miss last year; Michigan’s Josaiah Stewart (6-1, 250), who is undersized but quick and with a motor; and two bigger prospects who can play outside or with their hand on the ground, Sa’vion Jones of LSU (6-5, 283) or Tyrion Ingram-Dawkings of Georgia (6-4, 276).
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars 2025 draft preview: Edge rushers should be plentiful early or late
Continue reading...
Then they usually want the edge rusher who will go get the other team’s elite quarterback.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are no different. They have drafted 21 players listed as a defensive end, edge rusher or outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme in their history, five in the first round and one, Travon Walker in 2022, as the No. 1 overall selection.
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Few have panned out. Tony Brackens was a steal in the second round in 1996. Josh Hines-Allen was rewarded with a huge second contract last year but his production dropped off from 17.5 sacks in 2023 to eight last year. Walker led the team with 10.5 sacks last year but is 24 sacks in three years under-achieving for a No. 1 overall pick?
Then there were the busts: Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves as the top two picks in 2008 (Harvey had eight sacks in three years, Groves 2.5 in two before they were cut loose). Renaldo Wynn at No. 1 in 1997 (15 sacks in five years) and K’Lavon Chaisson in 2020 (five sacks in four years).
Jaguars in 2025 NFL Draft: Seven-round mock after pre-draft luncheon
There’s little doubt the Jaguars will take an edge rusher to complement Hines-Allen and Walker (or push them) in the 2025 draft and there is enough talent to snatch a player projected as elite high in the first round or players with decent grades and production in later rounds.
It's just one of the many questions swirling about their intentions before the first round on April 24.
Who are the top edge rushers in the NFL Draft?
- Abdul Carter, Penn State, 6-3, 250, projected top-10 pick
- Jalon Walker, Georgia, 6-1, 243, projected first round
- Mike Green, Marshall, 6-3, 251, projected first round
- Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M, 6-5, 267, projected first round
- Mykel Williams, Georgia, 6-5, 267, projected first round
Will Jaguars draft an edge rusher with the fifth pick overall?
With multiple needs, it’s a good guess. But if Penn State’s Abdul Carter drops below the top four picks, the temptation will be strong. Carter led the nation in tackles for losses with 23.5, had 12 sacks and was the Big Ten defensive Player of the Year. He's the clear favorite to be the first edge rusher off the board.
Even Walker (no relation to Travon Walker) might get some consideration. He was used in multiple roles by Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart but there is speculation that like Travon Walker, he may come to the NFL as a jack of all trades and master of none. One other upside: Smart has raved about Walker’s character, and he is the son of a coach.
Mike Green of Marshall has been a mid-to-high first round project. He was a good enough athlete to have starred at wide receiver in high school and ran a 4.77 40-yard dash at the combine. Green led the nation with 17 sacks but has raised character concerns from his time at Virginia.
Some mock drafts have had Walker’s Georgia teammate Mykel Williams going ahead of him in the first round. Williams has more career sacks (14 to 12.5) than Walker and is 20 pounds heavier, 4 inches taller.
If the Jaguars trade back, there are good late first-round prospects in Donovan Ezeriruaku of Boston College (second in the nation in sacks with 16.5), or Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr., who had the fastest 40-yard dash time (4.47) at the combine.
What are Jaguars’ late-round prospects for edge rusher?
The draft seems deep at the edge, with Dane Brugler forecasting 34 edge rushers to be taken, 14 in the first or second rounds.
Some second- or third-day possibilities include former Florida Gator Princely Umanmielen (6-3, 244), who had 10.5 sacks for Ole Miss last year; Michigan’s Josaiah Stewart (6-1, 250), who is undersized but quick and with a motor; and two bigger prospects who can play outside or with their hand on the ground, Sa’vion Jones of LSU (6-5, 283) or Tyrion Ingram-Dawkings of Georgia (6-4, 276).
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars 2025 draft preview: Edge rushers should be plentiful early or late
Continue reading...
