The rebuilding process is chugging along in Jacksonville, but Gus Bradley's Jaguars will have another chance to speed it up when the 2015 NFL Draft rolls around in May.
The Jaguars still have several areas where they need to improve if they want to get back into playoff contention - here are the three most pressing:
3. Cornerback
A quick look at 2014 season statistics won't reveal just how badly Jacksonville needs to upgrade their secondary. The numbers actually look middle-of-the-road, but there are a few reasons for that:
- In seven games in 2014, Jacksonville was down by enough early that teams rarely passed during the second half.
- Jacksonville played six games (Houston x2, Tennessee x2, Cleveland, Washington) against teams with absolutely dire quarterback situations.
The Jaguars still gave up an average QBR of 99.1 - only three teams (NYJ, CHI, WAS) allowed a higher rating. Jacksonville has drafted several defensive backs in recent years, so we don't expect this to be a first- or second-round selection, but keep an eye on prospects like Oregon's Ifo Ekpre-Olomu or Texas' Quandre Diggs in the 3rd and 4th rounds.
2. Running Back
The #1 RB on Jacksonville's depth chart - Toby Gerhart - averaged just 3.2 yards per carry in 2014. While some of that also falls on the offensive line, the Jaguars know they could use an upgrade at the running back position.
Georgia's Todd Gurley is too much of a reach for the #3 pick, but there are other excellent options available a bit further down the line. Indiana's Tevin Coleman would be a top-10 pick if he played somewhere that gave him more visibility, and he should be available in the second round. Alabama's T.J. Yeldon, Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah and Miami's Duke Johnson are also worth a look.
1. Offensive Line
Blake Bortles is never going to develop if he spends half of each game scraping himself off the turf. The Jags know they need to protect him better, and they also know they need a better offensive line to get anything out of their running game.
Tackle is the spot where Jacksonville needs an upgrade most pressingly, and there are quite a few names to watch. Since some of these guys are more mid-first-rounders than top 5 picks, don't be surprised if the Jaguars trade back a few spots and snag a few extra later-round picks in the process.
Stanford's Andrus Peat and Iowa's Brandon Scherff are both excellent options early, but don't count out the Jags looking at a few sleepers later on - Colorado State's Ty Sambrailo and Syracuse's Sean Hickey both have excellent NFL potential.
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