Jacksonville Jaguars: 4-Round mock draft kicks off rebuild beyond Lawrence

The 2021 NFL Draft starts with the Jacksonville Jaguars on the clock and the franchise has a monumental opportunity to rebuild at hand.

As owners of the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, along with seven total picks in the first four rounds, the Jacksonville Jaguars have all the capital to begin a successful rebuild under new head coach Urban Meyer.

That obviously begins at the top with Trevor Lawrence. As expected, Meyer and the front office are leaning towards taking the all-world quarterback prospect. Anything else would obviously be a massive shock.

But not enough people are talking about what the Jaguars could do after that. Let’s take a look as we go through the first four rounds with a mock draft.

Jacksonville Jaguars mock draft for the first four rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Round 1 (No. 1): Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

The Jaguars are taking Lawrence; don’t overthink this. He is the best quarterback in this draft and arguably the best prospect in the last decade. If the Jaguars want to get their franchise on track, having a great young quarterback is the perfect place to start.

Round 1 (No. 25): Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State

The Jaguars are actually pretty set at wide receiver but tight end is another story. James O’Shaughnessy and Chris Manhertz are the top two tight ends on the depth chart right now, neither of whom are legitimate No. 1 options as pass catchers.

In terms of pure tight end play, Pat Freiermuth is the best in this class. Kyle Pitts is the better offensive weapon. But as a blocker and pass catcher, Freiermuth is better when it comes to the overall responsibilities of tight ends. Giving Lawrence a safety valve at tight end to go along with a solid group of receivers would be a big win.

Round 2 (No. 33): Richie Grant, S, UCF

Richie Grant is one of my draft crushes. He was by far the best player in Mobile during Senior Bowl week. He had multiple interceptions in scrimmages, looked great in one-on-ones, and raised a lot of eyebrows.

The UCF standout had a career high three interceptions in 2020 and he is a solid tackler as well. A ballhawk like Grant would make a great addition to the Jaguars secondary, a unit in need of safety help.

Round 2 (No. 45): Jay Tufele, DT, USC

The middle of the Jaguars 4-3 is one of the weaker spots on the team. Taven Bryan has been a relative bust since being taken in the first round in 2018. Aside from Bryan, the Jaguars don’t have any proven talent on the defensive interior.

Jay Tufele is a versatile guy who can be lined up in the 3- or 5-technique. Getting him to help clog up the middle while Josh Allen and K’Lavon Chaisson patrol the edge would give the Jaguars front four a big boost.

Round 3 (No. 65): Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky

Jamin Davis had a great 2020 season. He more than tripled his tackle count from 2019, totalling 102 tackles in 2020 compared to 32 in 2019. The Jaguars have two solid linebackers in Joe Schobert and Myles Jack but adding Davis would give them a good depth piece and a potential future starter.

Round 4 (No. 106): Khalil Herbert, RB, Virginia Tech

Adding Khalil Herbert to the backfield with James Robinson would give the Jaguars a very good one-two punch. Herbert is one of the most underrated running backs in this draft. He is a slasher; so good at creating his own space and making tacklers miss.

The Jaguars could give themselves a complimentary backfield tandem with this pick, something Lawrence and the offense would greatly benefit from.

Round 4 (No. 130): Jaylen Twyman, DT, Pittsburgh

Another defensive tackle for the Jaguars, this time it is the big man from Pittsburgh. Jaylen Twyman sat out the 2020 season, but looked phenomenal in 2019. He netted 10.5 sacks from up the gut.

Drafting two defensive tackles does two things for Jacksonville: It both adds depth and gives them two potential starters on the defensive line. Twyman ad Tufele together could fix the defensive interior in Jacksonville sooner than later.