(03-29-2023, 03:16 PM)TheDogCatcher Wrote:

(03-29-2023, 01:25 PM)jaglou53 Wrote: The two players I'd seriously consider are Dalton Risner and Bryce Callahan. Neither of these would "break the bank" yet both would provide Baalke much needed flexibility for the draft. While Risner has been a solid guard in the NFL, he played 3 seasons at right tackle in college. He'd likely win a starting spot at guard for the Jaguars, but would be an option to consider if either Robinson or Little are forced to miss any games. It is possible that the team is targeting someone like Darnell Wright in round 1 or Matthew Bergeron/Jaelyn Duncan/Cody Mauch in round 2. If that is the case, Callahan might be the better option. He could immediately start at nickel and the Jaguars could still draft a corner since this position is extremely deep.

That’s pure needs based drafting. I wouldn’t draft a nickel corner in the top 3 rounds. That’s an undersized corner who’s not on the field the whole time. You find those guys in the later rounds or bargain basement free agency. Draft a strong, physical corner who can run with the big dogs in the first three rounds.

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(03-29-2023, 03:16 PM)TheDogCatcher Wrote: That’s pure needs based drafting that ignores premium position value. I wouldn’t draft a nickel corner in the top 3 rounds. That’s an undersized corner who’s not on the field the whole time. You find those guys in the later rounds or bargain basement free agency. Draft a strong, physical corner who can run with the big dogs in the first three rounds.

I believe you misunderstood me. I'm not against drafting a top corner in rounds 1 or 2. Porter, Witherspoon, Gonzales and Banks would be excellent picks in round 1 as would Brents and Phillips in round 2. All of these players could immediately start at corner in 2023 unless the coaching staff feels Williams would be a liability at nickel. In that case, the rookie would be the starting nickel in 2023 and then replace Williams as cornerback in 2024. Williams has improved since being moved to corner, but he'd be a prime candidate to be released in 2024 due to his salary cap figure.

We do disagree, however, on the importance of the nickel-back. Most defenses utilize 5 defensive backs about 60% of the time. Good quarterbacks will target the "weak link" consistently to take advantage of mis-matches. I like the effort that Tre Herndon displays on the field, but he lacks the athleticism and speed to cover good receivers. He was an undrafted free agent for that reason and his PFF ratings have been very poor. I mentioned Bryce Callahan due to his success playing nickel and the reasonable price they could sign him for. If the Jaguars don't sign Callahan or draft one of the top corners, I wouldn't hesitate to draft Quan Martin or Tre'Vious Hodges Tomlinson in round 3 or Riley Moss in round 4 to upgrade the nickel position.

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