Jags select Trevor Lawrence, Christian Barmore in Mel Kiper’s first 2021 mock draft
While it’s pretty clear what the Jacksonville Jaguars should do with the No. 1 overall pick, there will be a lot of other needs they must hit on outside of the probable addition of Trevor Lawrence. In addition to the most important position on the field, the Jags need help at tight end, left tackle, safety, cornerback, and in the defensive trenches.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. believes the Jags could end up getting some help at defensive tackle in addition to snagging Lawrence. Specifically, he had the Jags acquiring Alabama defensive lineman, Christian Barmore, in his latest mock draft, which is the first of the year.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
Let’s kick off Urban Meyer’s rebuild in Jacksonville with a franchise quarterback. Lawrence is one of the best quarterback prospects I’ve studied over the past decade, and he has all the makings of a superstar, from arm talent to size to the ability to process at the position. And we know Meyer likes him from his comments in 2019. Make no mistake, though; this is notgoing to be a quick fix. The Jaguars were 1-15 for a reason. They have some talent to build around on offense, with wide receivers Laviska Shenault Jr. and DJ Chark Jr. and running back James Robinson, but they need to add protection for Lawrence on the offensive line. Will free agent left tackle Cam Robinson be back? It’s no sure thing. The good news for Meyer and new general manager Trent Baalke is that they have another first-round pick (No. 25) and an extra second-round pick from the Yannick Ngakoue trade with the Vikings.
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (from LAR)
I thought about a receiver or offensive lineman here to help Trevor Lawrence, but this defense is depleted, particularly along the defensive line and in the secondary. How can we get the Jags some help? K’Lavon Chaisson, a first-rounder last year, had only one sack and nine QB hits as a rookie. Taven Bryan, a first-rounder in 2018, has only 3.5 sacks in three seasons. Barmore really came on at the end of the season, with six sacks in his final six games. He was dominant in the two College Football Playoff wins. I love the fit in Jacksonville, where he can be a penetrating 3-technique.
The argument could be made that the Jaguars couldn’t get two hotter names if they address both sides of the ball in round one. That said, this is not the first time both players have been slotted to the Jags in the same mock, and it certainly won’t be the last.
There isn’t much to say about Lawrence at this point. Simply put, the Jags need a franchise quarterback — and Lawrence — who is a once in a generation talent, could help them tremendously on and off the field.
As for Barmore, he would be a fantastic pick for the Jags’ defense — that is if he’s available. They finished 30th against the rush, allowing a 153.3 YPG average, and were 31st in total defense, allowing a 417.7 YPG average. While both DaVon Hamilton and Doug Collins showed promise as rookies, they clearly need one more key contributor in the middle to help fix the Jags’ extremely leaky defense.
Pairing Hamilton and Barmore with new defensive coordinator Joe Cullen (a former defensive line coach) would be interesting, to say the least. It could put the Jags in a situation where they could have a Marcus Stroud and John Henderson type duo in the works. Again, the issue is that Barmore feels too talented to be available at No. 25, so it may be a long-shot.
Regardless of if it happens or not, the addition of both Lawrence and Barmore would be huge. Let us know if you feel the same (or if you disagree) in our social media comments section.
