Jacksonville Jaguars: 7-Round 2018 mock draft in late February

A reliable receiving tight end can be a young NFL quarterback’s best friend. In Marcedes Lewis, the Jags have had a solid and dependable player at the tight end position for many years. If they were to draft Jackson, Lewis would undoubtedly be an important part of his development.

That being said, the 12-year veteran will be 34 years old during the 2018 season. The Jags must start to plan for a future without Lewis. Adding a tight end in the 2018 NFL Draft would be ideal. In the third round of this mock draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars find their guy in Penn State’s Mike Gesicki.

Gesicki is a special athlete at the tight end position. He has the speed to stretch the middle of the field on the seam route and more than enough athleticism to make plays on the ball in the air. Add in his 6-6, 252-pound frame and you have a potentially special playmaker at the tight end position.

Gesicki was a star basketball and volleyball player in high school and he uses those skills well on the football field. He has impressive leaping ability and incredible natural ball skills. Gesicki also uses his body well to shield defenders in the red zone. He is also an impressive route runner who consistently finds open space against both man and zone coverages.

While Gesicki’s upside as a receiving tight end is absolutely massive, he is not a complete player. Most notably, Gesicki’s blocking skills lag far behind. He does not show great footwork as a blocker, nor does he show much power at the point of attack. He has the natural strength and athleticism to grow into a good run blocking tight end, but as he stands now, Gesicki is a liability when blocking as an inline tight end.

Gesicki would be an absolute steal for the Jaguars as a late third round selection. Taking him to pair with Jackson could bring a ton of long-term success for the team.