(04-25-2023, 10:57 AM)NYC4jags Wrote:

(04-25-2023, 09:43 AM)TheDogCatcher Wrote: This! Both lines need 2-3 players each from this draft, and a pure corner to take over for Williams eventually is also top of the list. Nickel can be found in later rounds or from the undrafted ranks. Bring in lots of competition and someone will emerge. It’s a position like running back.

A few things I'd like to unpack in these posts regarding the nickel:

• Nickel corner devaluation is officially an antiquated concept. Every year a dozen or more teams are putting premier receivers in the slot for a significant percentage of snaps. Plenty of other teams are getting their move TE matched up on the Y defender frequently by design. If you face these teams with a late round flyer at nickel you get what we got from Ceedee Lamb vs Tre Herndon last year. Nobody wants that. Jags had a nickel on the field for 70% of their snaps last year. It's important. 
  
• Is the first round still too early to draft a nickel?  Yes. I think it's early. I still feel like late 2nd round is the soonest you target a slot defender depending on positional depth that year. If I had my druthers in this year's draft we'd have a good candidate available to us in the third round. I would NOT wait until the 5th or later. You are going to be spinning your wheels again unless you hit the lottery - should you take that late round route. 
  
• Like many - I want to see the Jags get a pass rusher early. But please don't forget that a top notch nickel will indeed give the pass rush more time to operate. We saw an uptick in our pass rush last year when Williams moved to outside CB and suddenly routes and reads were not as instantly open for opposing QBs. Adding a quality nickel will have a similar effect - and cumulatively. 
  

I'd love to see the team address DL/Edge, OL, and nickel in that order. I think it just comes down to what's left to choose from when we're on the clock. They'll have to be flexible. 

Now, if the Jags select a DB early to play nickel in 2023 - but they intend for him to take over SS in 2024, I think the late first pick would be slightly more justified. Would still like to get that player later, but... I'd get it. Jenkins is likely in his last year as a Jag and he sucks in coverage. We can get better there. 

I have bleated like an injured lamb around here about how this OL wasn't very good last year despite the low # of sacks allowed and good runs produced. So I'm first in line to want O-linemen selected in this draft. 
In my perfect little draft utopia we'd select a tackle (early) who might play guard for a year if he doesn't beat out one of our penciled in tackles right away. I'd also try to find a guard in the fourth round who could challenge Bartch for a start. Extra points if that guard has some center experience in his resumé.  

Get Trevor a real pocket to step into instead of being forced to call so many quick release play designs and our big play percentage will skyrocket. Last year's win streak featured lots of plays designed to get the ball out quickly with smoke and mirrors ZBS looks from the line. That was Pederson wisely covering for the bad protection, but it put the onus on Trevor and it limited what he could do in those moments. Additionally  - we saw designed and undesigned rollouts galore because Shatley and Fortner were being moved straight backward immediately on an inordinate amount of plays. Get a real LG in there and that changes. 

Unrelated to these posts, but I have to get it off my chest: If you're calling for a RB or WR prior to the fifth and that guy doesn't have a near certain chance to be a difference making core special teamer, I can't take you seriously.

I think we'll address the nickel position in this draft for sure. I am with you in line and in agreement that it is important. I just think if we ignore the fact that our pass rush was more anemic though and the fact that we had high pressure percentages with little paydirt being hit? That should take priority over a guy that's going to maybe be on the field 70% of the time when a more effective edge rusher can just clobber the QB to the point to where on 3rd and long he's not getting 4, 5 seconds to pick apart a guy like Herndon. 

Ideally, in a perfect world? This team gets lucky and gets a trade offer to move back from 24 and they pick-up a pair of 2nd and 3rd RD selections and maybe a pick in next year's draft. The amount of guard, tackle, nickel and edge rushing prospects available in these rounds is perfect and we'll probably hit multiple, safe prospects here IMHO. 

I would be over joyed if they got a deal. We wait for the 2nd night, that's fine. They end up getting an edge rusher like Foskey or McDonald, they end up getting a tackle/guard like Mauch or Bergeron and they end up getting a corner like Brents to compliment Campbell and move Williams back inside or Sydney Brown to fit the role everybody wants Branch for early. Problem solved. It's slim it'll happen. It sure would be nice. 

I just think if they select a player like Cam Smith at CB or even Keion White at 24, a prospect that I think a lot of the media is sleeping on. We should be relatively pleased as fans. I also agree with you at RB/WR. No way in hell this team should be investing any selections there until well after round four.

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