(11-23-2021, 02:22 PM)jaglou53 Wrote: Ikem Ekwonu is a left tackle/guard from N.C. State who is rising up draft boards. CBS' most recent mock has the Jaguars selecting him with their first pick (3rd overall) after Thibodeaux and Neal are taken at 1 and 2. This guy's tape is fun to watch due to the ferocity at which he plays the position. He is also extremely athletic and has been compared to Alijah Vera-Tucker who is having a great rookie season for the Jets. Some analysts indicate Ekwonu may be better at guard, but the same was said about Vera-Tucker.

The more I think about it, the offensive line needs to be a top priority for the Jaguars along with wide receiver. Trevor Lawrence needs to remain healthy and finding a reliable left tackle who can protect his blind-side is critical. Despite the improvement shown by Cam Robinson this season, is he worth a long-term deal considering his overall track record (especially injuries). Even if they franchise him again, the Jaguars will still need to find a long-term solution at this position. Hopefully Little will factor into this decision once he improves his technique issues and the 2 year rust has totally worn off. Even if this happens, the Jaguars will need another tackle to replace Taylor. 

After watching the Jaguars this season, it is obvious that it will take at least two years for them to be seriously competitive. There are just too many needs. I'm not saying that I'd necessarily take Ekwonu (or Neal -if he grades out that high), but it must be considered. An ideal scenerio would be to trade back a few spots and pick up an additional high pick to help meet another need like receiver. Sometimes the least "sexy" draft picks turn out the best. Ekwonu would certainly not get our fans buzzing on draft day like a receiver who runs a forty in under 4.4 or a pass rusher who had 12 sacks in his last collegiate season. 

The Jaguars were extremely fortunate to be in position to draft a potential "generational quarterback." They now need to do what most successful franchises have done in the past and that is to build from the "inside-out." Address the offensive line and pass rush in the next draft and take the best available wide receiver in free agency (Godwin looked great last night). This may not be the popular view, but I believe it would be the best approach going forward.

Personally, I am skeptical of Ekwonu as an OT. North Carolina State list him at 6'4" 320 lbs and as we all know, these school measurements are usually inflated. I'm betting he is closer to 6'3" which is normally well below what an ideal OT should be. With that said, Ekwonu is without a doubt, the #1 interior offensive linemen on my board, just ahead of Center Tyler Linderbaum, so drafting Ekwonu would still be a realistic option in my mind given that Norwell is almost certainly gone after this season. As far as his comparisons to Vera-Tucker, I can see that, but imo, Ekwonu is even better. Remember though, Vera Tucker was drafted by the Jets and they immediately moved him to LG, where he has done well. I see the same thing in Ekwonu's future. 

As far as LT, I'm probably unrealistic in my thinking, but I'm still holding out hope that we could either sign Terron Armstead or even Riley Reiff in free agency or possibly trade for a good, young OT. My backup plan would be to franchise Cam Robinson one more year and have him and Little fight it out in camp next year to start at LT, with the runner-up moving to RT, because Jawaan Taylor has to go. Then we would deal with finding a long term solution at LT in 2023 when hopefully there would be stronger options. 

As far as how long it will take us to be competitive, it all depends on Shad Khan. If he continues to be stubborn and insist he was right in hiring Urban Meyer, keeping him in power another year, that will be another year we will be held back. The future of our franchise is in his hands and frankly with his track record, I'm not very optimistic. I totally agree about trading back in the draft. That would be the ideal scenario. We're certainly not gonna fix everything in one offseason. There is just too many issues to address. Trading back and building up draft picks would give us more of a chance to add really good players in critical areas like WR, OLB, ILB and O-Line. I just don't trust this front office to do that though. 

While building the O-Line via the draft is something I've advocated for years, this OT class is very weak. I just don't see a standout OT worth taking in round 1 or 2. With that said, the OG and Center positions are pretty deep and if we could trade down a few spots and select an OG like Ekwonu or a Center/OG like Linderbaum, I'd be really happy. We don't just need an OT, we will need a new LG with Norwell hitting free agency and given that Linder is hurt so much and will be be on the books for $10 million in his final year in 2022, a Center prospect would be a welcomed addition as well.

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