It’s pretty evident which positions the Jacksonville Jaguars will focus on attacking in the early stages of the 2018 NFL Draft, such as tight end and offensive line. The late rounds can be just as important as the first few rounds, as it lets you fill depth needs, find potential starting players, or even a future Hall of Famer.
A great example is future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady, who was a sixth-round draft pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. Let’s look into some players who may be available when the Jaguars are on the board in the fourth-round and after.
Fourth-Round Targets:
WR Simmie Cobbs, Indiana
It’s hard to tell if Cobbs will be available at this pick, but the Jaguars should pounce on the opportunity if he’s available. The Jaguars took a bullet when losing star Allen Robinson, which makes it an obvious need to draft a capable, big-bodied receiver.
Cobbs has a lot to offer in size, aggressiveness, physicality, route running, and run blocking. He’s an excellent over the shoulder receiver and is a threat everywhere on the field. Cobbs had an impressive career, tallying 1,990 receiving yards on 139 receptions and 13 total touchdowns.
There are things Cobbs needs to fix, such as laziness when the ball isn’t coming his way, being a step too late off the line, and separation. His size and physical play makes up for the separation attribute, however.
LB Micah Kiser, UVA
Kizer is a big-bodied guy, with the height of 6’2” and weight of 240 pounds. This versatile linebacker will be useful in both run and pass packages. With the recent retirement of Paul Posluszny, Kiser would be an excellent replacement as he flashes potential and plays hard on every down.
In Kiser’s career, he finished with 408 total tackles, 33.5 tackles-for-loss, 19 sacks, 12 pass deflections, eight forced fumbles, and one interception. The Jaguars struggled against the run, so the addition of a physical run-stopping linebacker would be the perfect move.
TE Dalton Schultz, Stanford
Schultz is one of the best run blocking tight ends in this draft, but he has a lot to prove. He’s an average route runner who’s predictable and lacks speed, but has great footwork and hand placement when blocking.
The Jaguars made some tight end moves in the off-season. They cut Marcedes Lewis and acquired free agents Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Niles Paul. Schultz doesn’t have an impressive college stat-line, where he finished his career with 555 yards on 55 receptions and five touchdowns. He still brings a lot to the table as a blocking tight end.
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Sixth-Round Targets
RB Justin Jackson, Northwestern
Jackson is a big sleeper in this draft. He’s a fast, agile, very shifty, and has high awareness. He has a LeSean McCoy-esque style of play with his cutback ability. The Jaguars are in need of a backup running back who is capable of receiving as well as taking some pressure off Fournette’s big workload.
Jackson had an impressive career at Northwestern. Among the Big Ten, he finished second in rushing yards in 2015, first in 2016, and third in 2017. He is a great value pick in the sixth-round to fill a need for the Jaguars.
DT Justin Jones, NC State
Jones doesn’t get much recognition with teammates Bradley Chubb, Kentavius Street, and B.J. Hill surrounding him, but he is a productive defenseman. Jones measures in at 6’2” and 312 pounds, so he is a small lineman and that scares scouts. He finished his 34 game career with 108 total tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, and eight-and-a-half sacks.
Marcell Dareus is unlikely to stay on the team and Malik Jackson is aging, so Jones would be a great addition in terms of depth. Being mentored by some of the best defensive linemen in the league would be a huge plus for Jones, giving him some time to improve his game.
Seventh-Round Targets
QB Logan Woodside, Toledo
Possibly the most underrated quarterback in the 2018 NFL Draft is Woodside. He had a great career at Toledo, throwing for 10,514 passing yards and 93 touchdowns as opposed to 25 interceptions. Woodside also had a 65.1 pass completion percentage and 162.9 passer rating.
He is an accurate passer all over the field, hitting his targets wherever they are. Woodside does lack size and has things he needs to work on, but this dark horse quarterback is a perfect fit for the Jaguars.
LB Mike McCray, Michigan
This is the perfect situation for the Jaguars. McCray is a run-stopping linebacker who is physical and has high intelligence for the game. He has tremendous play recognition ability, and is a leader, which will go a long way in the NFL.
McCray has dealt with past injuries, and that’s limiting his ability to become the best linebacker he can be. Scouts are concerned with his injury history and speed, issues that may result in a lack of production. With the right training and medical staff, which the Jaguars have, McCray’s issues may not be that serious.
