https://x.com/MathBomb/status/1764063628892750121?s=20

---

YOU said he ignored it in last draft.  Whether he ‘loves them’ or not, Baalke didn’t ignore it.

Not using a better pick on the problem is ignoring it.. oh, I forgot we needed strange, tank, and miller instead. My pardon.

LOL.  Sure, you go with that.

---

He drafted 3 DBs in the last draft, all of whom could play corner or nickle, then brought in 2 more UDFAs. They also signed Herndon and Tevaughn Campbell and had Brown and Junior from the 2022 draft who both played ok last year. Those are all behind the actual starters, and that's hardly ignoring it, so don't let your disappointment cloud the facts.

Wow, you really love our back ups who get burned every game. The only ones to be confident in are Williams and hopefully Campbell if he can regain his 2022 form.

Wow, you really don't know what "ignore" means if you think resigning 1 starter, using 5 draft picks, 3 veteran free agent signings, and 2 UDFA signings in two offseasons is "ignoring" the position. We had the top 4 filled with Herndon resigned and Claybrooks as a premier gunner, depth comes from young guys who get time to develop, and we are awash in them already. Not defend what Baalke did with those earlier picks, but had he taken a corner it would've been overkill. I'd rather he taken big bodies, but CB wasn't a serious problem last offseason, and the young guys like Brown did ok when called on.

---

“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

https://www.si.com/nfl/jaguars/draft/202...-up-target

---

---

The best LB in this draft.  

---

Gonna be a good really good WR

---

Wow, you really love our back ups who get burned every game. The only ones to be confident in are Williams and hopefully Campbell if he can regain his 2022 form.

Wow, you really don't know what "ignore" means if you think resigning 1 starter, using 5 draft picks, 3 veteran free agent signings, and 2 UDFA signings in two offseasons is "ignoring" the position. We had the top 4 filled with Herndon resigned and Claybrooks as a premier gunner, depth comes from young guys who get time to develop, and we are awash in them already. Not defend what Baalke did with those earlier picks, but had he taken a corner it would've been overkill. I'd rather he taken big bodies, but CB wasn't a serious problem last offseason, and the young guys like Brown did ok when called on.

If this is why we didnt take a CB earlier.  I sure hope not.  You dont pass up corners on the top of your board because you have Herndon and Claybrooks, that would be some horrendous drafting.  Could have drafted Tyrique Stevenson in the 2nd, a guy who we met with last year and improved through out the year to one of the best rookie corners.  Im going to believe we traded back and didnt take Stevenson because we had Strange higher on our board, not because we had Herndon and Claybrooks.

---

Look at that spider chart for Brian Thomas. He might not be there when we pick because he also has the production, lead the nation in TDs with 17.

https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Bria...sJr-WR-LSU

---

The best LB in this draft.  

---

Gonna be a good really good WR

Wilson was a heavy target for Clemson coming out. Missed on him, and then I got to watch him rack up plays against Clemson. I'll take him all day he's a player

---

Kinda digging Braden Fiske dt fsu 2nd rd if fell to 3rd for sure.

---

4 pages in on a combine thread and no comments on what Laiatu Latu just pulled off this week?

He's a good athlete for his size and position. Production is there. Didn't do the bench but if his neck injury is cleared medically he'll be a top 15 pick.

Didn't have him on my radar because I don't think he falls to 17 personally.

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

Every recent mock I've seen has him falling to pick 20 or beyond.  I have an interest in guys at positions the Jags aren't targeting, like QBs and edge rushers, because when they move up someone else has to fall.  That's the way it went in the mocks that have Odunze and Fashanu being available at 17. 

Was thinking of making a thread about this, but I'll put it here instead.  These are the players that I have 100% certainty will not be there when the Jags pick:

GROUP 1

Caleb Williams
Jayden Daniels
Drake Maye
Marvin Harrison Jr.
Joe Alt
Malik Nabers
Dallas Turner
Jared Verse

So there's 9 players off our board.  These are the players I am 75% certain will be gone by pick 17:

GROUP 2

Rome Odunze
Olumomiya Fashanu
Terrion Arnold
Quinyon Mitchell (he's flying up the board)
JJ McCarthy

That's another 5, making for 14 total.  That means there will be only 2 of the following off the board when the Jags pick:

GROUP 3

Taliese Fuaga
JC Latham
Nate Wiggins
Brock Bowers
Bo Nix
Troy Fautanu
Laiatu Latu
Cooper DeJean

That means that every time a guy from Group 3 gets picked ahead of pick 17 (Nix, Bowers, or Fuaga, maybe?), we are that much closer to getting one from Group 2.  I'm starting to think there's no way even Gene Smith could screw this 1st rounder up.

---

He's a good athlete for his size and position. Production is there. Didn't do the bench but if his neck injury is cleared medically he'll be a top 15 pick.

Didn't have him on my radar because I don't think he falls to 17 personally.

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

Every recent mock I've seen has him falling to pick 20 or beyond.  I have an interest in guys at positions the Jags aren't targeting, like QBs and edge rushers, because when they move up someone else has to fall.  That's the way it went in the mocks that have Odunze and Fashanu being available at 17. 

Was thinking of making a thread about this, but I'll put it here instead.  These are the players that I have 100% certainty will not be there when the Jags pick:

GROUP 1

Caleb Williams
Jayden Daniels
Drake Maye
Marvin Harrison Jr.
Joe Alt
Malik Nabers
Dallas Turner
Jared Verse

So there's 9 players off our board.  These are the players I am 75% certain will be gone by pick 17:

GROUP 2

Rome Odunze
Olumomiya Fashanu
Terrion Arnold
Quinyon Mitchell (he's flying up the board)
JJ McCarthy

That's another 5, making for 14 total.  That means there will be only 2 of the following off the board when the Jags pick:

GROUP 3

Taliese Fuaga
JC Latham
Nate Wiggins
Brock Bowers
Bo Nix
Troy Fautanu
Laiatu Latu
Cooper DeJean

That means that every time a guy from Group 3 gets picked ahead of pick 17 (Nix, Bowers, or Fuaga, maybe?), we are that much closer to getting one from Group 2.  I'm starting to think there's no way even Gene Smith could screw this 1st rounder up.

I agree totally with your thinking. I commented on the thread " 4 options at 17" that trading back will be a great opportunity for the Jaguars to address most, if not all, of their critical needs and still get good value.

Of the players you mention, there are a few that I'd place in a different group. McCarthy should be in group 1 and Bowers and Fuaga in group 2. Among this group, I could definitely see a team wanting to trade up for Fuaga, Wiggins and possibly Latu. You don't mention Newton and Murphy, but both of these players are 1st round caliber and would meet a critical need for the Jaguars. Bottom line, you are correct that it would be very difficult to not end up with a very good pick in round 1. My hope, however, is that they can maximize the value of pick 17 by trading back at least once like they did last year.

---

I agree totally with your thinking. I commented on the thread " 4 options at 17" that trading back will be a great opportunity for the Jaguars to address most, if not all, of their critical needs and still get good value.

Of the players you mention, there are a few that I'd place in a different group. McCarthy should be in group 1 and Bowers and Fuaga in group 2. Among this group, I could definitely see a team wanting to trade up for Fuaga, Wiggins and possibly Latu. You don't mention Newton and Murphy, but both of these players are 1st round caliber and would meet a critical need for the Jaguars. Bottom line, you are correct that it would be very difficult to not end up with a very good pick in round 1. My hope, however, is that they can maximize the value of pick 17 by trading back at least once like they did last year.

As far as Newton and Murphy, wouldn't mind seeing either in teal.  McCarthy might be in Group 1 and can't argue that Bowers and Fuaga are in group 2, but I did feel like being conservative.  If that does happen, then we are guaranteed a player out of Group 2 by simple math, and might be holding a pick someone REALLY wants for a change.  I've seen too many drafts where the Jags have been in no-mans-land with our first rounder, and I'm pretty sure that isn't the case this time.  There's going to be a high quality player we can use pretty much no matter what available at 17.

Assuming that they aren't Watt and Brady, it would be great to see Latu and Nix off the board and have even more players at positions of need fall to 17.  And trade suitors knocking at the door, too.

---

At 6-foot-4 1/4-inch, 303 pounds, Bortolini ran a 4.94-second 40 with an exceptional 1.69 10-yard split (and strong 32 1/2-inch vertical and 9-foot-4 broad jump). He also had the best time among offensive linemen in the 3-cone drill (7.16 seconds) and 20-yard shuttle (4.28 seconds). In fact, Bortolini joined Jason Kelce as the only OL at the combine since 2003 to have a sub-4.3 20-yard shuttle and a sub-7.3 3-cone drill, per NFL Research. The two-time honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference selection looked like a professional center coming out of his stance during drills, snapping the ball and smoothly stepping in either direction. A coach on the field complimented his balance and body control in a pass protection drill. I agree with that assessment of his performance.

---

I can see bowers get taken before he gets to us

---

Wow, you really don't know what "ignore" means if you think resigning 1 starter, using 5 draft picks, 3 veteran free agent signings, and 2 UDFA signings in two offseasons is "ignoring" the position. We had the top 4 filled with Herndon resigned and Claybrooks as a premier gunner, depth comes from young guys who get time to develop, and we are awash in them already. Not defend what Baalke did with those earlier picks, but had he taken a corner it would've been overkill. I'd rather he taken big bodies, but CB wasn't a serious problem last offseason, and the young guys like Brown did ok when called on.

If this is why we didnt take a CB earlier.  I sure hope not.  You dont pass up corners on the top of your board because you have Herndon and Claybrooks, that would be some horrendous drafting.  Could have drafted Tyrique Stevenson in the 2nd, a guy who we met with last year and improved through out the year to one of the best rookie corners.  Im going to believe we traded back and didnt take Stevenson because we had Strange higher on our board, not because we had Herndon and Claybrooks.

Again, you don't seem to understand the point. They had 4 guys who were definitely going to make the roster last year: Tyson, Williams, Herndon, and Claybrooks. They had an additional 7 guys in camp who were playing for max two open spots. They didn't "ignore" it, they had guys here to be the depth and teams players with rookies and 2nd year guys expected to contribute. By all accounts Greg Junior and Montaric Brown had good camps and relatively productive seasons, and the 3 guys they drafted in 2023 all hung around with Johnson looking like he'll push to start this season. The CB room looked fine behind the two starters last offseason until Claybrooks got arrested, and they drafted guys they want to develop into starting roles this and next year. I understand the angst about the 2 through 4 picks, but they should've been big guys, not little ones.

---

---

Just heard a great bit from Schrager on GMF. He said that all the coaches and GMs left the Combine before the big guys worked out yesterday. Then he said he "saw McDaniel and Doug Pederson...that was it".

Glad to hear that Doug's actions match our thoughts rather than all the whining gong on about his words.

---

“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

/walker little waves
//Luke Fortner stands around cluelessly
///Ben Bartch forgot he played in Duval

I guess you're right.

You still dont get it, I said fix the line.  Just because you take an olineman doesn't mean you fixed the line.  That's why i hate drafting for positions.  You have to actually take good players to help fix the position.  Just drafting a lineman when you need a lineman doesn't do [BLEEP] and can put you back if the player isn't that good and you are passing up good players at other positions

Please show me how my post proves I don't get it.

You said fix the line, but not with an early pick. How you think we do that, based on recent history? Nowhere did I say take any particular player at 17, nor did I say stay at 17 to get your guy. My point was not that we must take an OL at 17 or the darft is a bust, it's that we can't just bank on kicking the can down the road and hope that magic falls into our lap. Apparently, our idea of magic is busted.

I could say preserve the cap, that doesn't become some magic wand that suddenly makes everyone on our roster sign for vet minimum.

---

I like Max Melton. Played at Rutgers with Christian Braswell, his counterpart that we drafted last year in RD6. Melton comes from a good athletic family. That 4.39 at 6'0, 190 pounds doesn't surprise me one bit. 

He doesn't seem to get beat deep at all from what I have seen. I would take him in RD4 though if he's still on the board and see if he can be developed for a year or two. I am honestly hoping we get a jump up in play from Braswell in year two. Similar to Montaric Brown. 

The other CB's to watch for me are Khyree Jackson out of Oregon & T.J Tampa out of Iowa State.

---

Odds are that he does if he slips past the Chargers. I could see the tacks taking him to pair up with Levis for years to come. Too many mismatch opportunities for teams and with Callahan coming over there to coach them from the Bengals he'll probably see it the way most people see it.

2nd year QB that's scrappy with a big arm that likes to play backyard football with a big athletic mismatch player at TE that can run and catch, block and get open. It's very easily an early opportunity to create a safety blanket for himself as a play caller and 1st year head coach.

---

Jarian is one of the best, if not, the best slot corner in this draft class. His performance today did him big time favors.

What do you think the odds of Mitchell being there at 17 are?   The only 2 corners I would be happy with at 17 are Mitchell and DeJean

Mitchell is the only CB I would take at 17. I don't think we'll have to worry about that.

---

4 pages in on a combine thread and no comments on what Laiatu Latu just pulled off this week?

...can he play IOL?  

---

With Balkie ignoring needing a cb last draft, I’m not getting too excited yet about the draft this time around. My expectations are the lowest in many jaguar years when it comes to the draft and even free agency. The way last season went was stupid. lol I guess I will be done healing from the shock of missing the play offs soon. I’m not going to guess too much, but I just hope for a good draft this time. Jags need it tremendously.

hwut

---

That means that every time a guy from Group 3 gets picked ahead of pick 17 (Nix, Bowers, or Fuaga, maybe?), we are that much closer to getting one from Group 2.  I'm starting to think there's no way even Gene Smith could screw this 1st rounder up.

O ye of little faith...

I'm preparing my liver already.

---

At 6-foot-4 1/4-inch, 303 pounds, Bortolini ran a 4.94-second 40 with an exceptional 1.69 10-yard split (and strong 32 1/2-inch vertical and 9-foot-4 broad jump). He also had the best time among offensive linemen in the 3-cone drill (7.16 seconds) and 20-yard shuttle (4.28 seconds). In fact, Bortolini joined Jason Kelce as the only OL at the combine since 2003 to have a sub-4.3 20-yard shuttle and a sub-7.3 3-cone drill, per NFL Research. The two-time honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference selection looked like a professional center coming out of his stance during drills, snapping the ball and smoothly stepping in either direction. A coach on the field complimented his balance and body control in a pass protection drill. I agree with that assessment of his performance.

bench reps?

I don't need a sprinter at center. I want a brick wall that smacks back.

TBH, his name popped up a bit while I played with mocks, might be the SVP consolation prize. I just get nervous about another mid-round C, do we end up with flawed guy that we have to accomodate like we presently have with Fortner, or do we actually have depth at this position in the darft that lets us address glaring need without overbuying?

---

At 6-foot-4 1/4-inch, 303 pounds, Bortolini ran a 4.94-second 40 with an exceptional 1.69 10-yard split (and strong 32 1/2-inch vertical and 9-foot-4 broad jump). He also had the best time among offensive linemen in the 3-cone drill (7.16 seconds) and 20-yard shuttle (4.28 seconds). In fact, Bortolini joined Jason Kelce as the only OL at the combine since 2003 to have a sub-4.3 20-yard shuttle and a sub-7.3 3-cone drill, per NFL Research. The two-time honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference selection looked like a professional center coming out of his stance during drills, snapping the ball and smoothly stepping in either direction. A coach on the field complimented his balance and body control in a pass protection drill. I agree with that assessment of his performance.

Yeah. Cited this guy in the OL thread in the Jaguars forum. Along with Matt Lee out of Miami. 

That means that every time a guy from Group 3 gets picked ahead of pick 17 (Nix, Bowers, or Fuaga, maybe?), we are that much closer to getting one from Group 2.  I'm starting to think there's no way even Gene Smith could screw this 1st rounder up.

O ye of little faith...

I'm preparing my liver already.

Yeah, really. I wouldn't hold my breath with this team. I'll say this though, because we still have some time. If Baalke manages to hammer a deal out with Allen today and he's able to tag Ridley. It gives us breathing room to do a lot of things that are somewhat predictable. 

If he has to tag Allen and Ridley is able to test the market? I think it creates a potential vortex of chaos right there within the 10th - 15th range because there could be real, genuine fear, that, Baalke wants a WR, especially if they interviewed Rome Odunze. If you had him on your radar? Why wouldn't you have a few other scouts or lackeys doing leg work for similar receivers with similar builds or production?

Brian Thomas Jr. is 100% in play there. 
Keon Coleman is 100% in play there. 
Adonai Mitchell is 100% in play there. 

It'll be fun to see how it all plays out, but, funny enough, I wouldn't mind seeing him trade down out of 17 now while scooping up an extra 2nd and/or 3rd RD pick. This is very deep class at WR. We did get by without a guy like Ridley with [BLEEP] offensive line play up front and a lack of running game over the last two years with Lawrence. 

We could potentially trade down, pick-up the top available interior player on either side of the football, and, it wouldn't break my heart at all if they did go WR and CB in RD2 and/or RD3. Maybe you can land a guy like Ladd McConkey. Troy Franklin or Keon Coleman in RD2. I wouldn't sleep on Xavier Legette, Roman Wilson, Ricky Pearsall or Devontez Walker neither. 

There's some good NFL bloodlines in this draft as well. Brenden Rice and Luke McCaffrey should be considered at some point. Here's what I did. Since I am feeling squirely with Sportskeeda's simulator. 

Swapped picks 17 and 117 for Detroit's picks of 29, 61 & 73. 

Went with:
Troy Fautanu - G - 29th.
Ruke Orhorhoro - DT - 48th. 
Xavier Legette - WR - 61st. 
T.J Tampa - CB - 73rd. 
Tanor Bortolini - C - 96th. 
Tyler Nubin - S - 115th. 
Max Melton - CB - 152nd. 
Julian Pearl - LT - 195th. 
Anthony Gould - WR/KR/PR - 211th. 
Mohamed Kamara - EDGE - 234th.

---

"What do I know of cultured ways, the gilt, the craft and the lie? I, who was born in a naked land and bred in the open sky. The subtle tongue, the sophist guile, they fail when the broadswords sing; Rush in and die, dogs - I was a man before I was a king."

At 6-foot-4 1/4-inch, 303 pounds, Bortolini ran a 4.94-second 40 with an exceptional 1.69 10-yard split (and strong 32 1/2-inch vertical and 9-foot-4 broad jump). He also had the best time among offensive linemen in the 3-cone drill (7.16 seconds) and 20-yard shuttle (4.28 seconds). In fact, Bortolini joined Jason Kelce as the only OL at the combine since 2003 to have a sub-4.3 20-yard shuttle and a sub-7.3 3-cone drill, per NFL Research. The two-time honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference selection looked like a professional center coming out of his stance during drills, snapping the ball and smoothly stepping in either direction. A coach on the field complimented his balance and body control in a pass protection drill. I agree with that assessment of his performance.

Yeah. Cited this guy in the OL thread in the Jaguars forum. Along with Matt Lee out of Miami. 

O ye of little faith...

I'm preparing my liver already.

Yeah, really. I wouldn't hold my breath with this team. I'll say this though, because we still have some time. If Baalke manages to hammer a deal out with Allen today and he's able to tag Ridley. It gives us breathing room to do a lot of things that are somewhat predictable. 

If he has to tag Allen and Ridley is able to test the market? I think it creates a potential vortex of chaos right there within the 10th - 15th range because there could be real, genuine fear, that, Baalke wants a WR, especially if they interviewed Rome Odunze. If you had him on your radar? Why wouldn't you have a few other scouts or lackeys doing leg work for similar receivers with similar builds or production?

Brian Thomas Jr. is 100% in play there. 
Keon Coleman is 100% in play there. 
Adonai Mitchell is 100% in play there. 

It'll be fun to see how it all plays out, but, funny enough, I wouldn't mind seeing him trade down out of 17 now while scooping up an extra 2nd and/or 3rd RD pick. This is very deep class at WR. We did get by without a guy like Ridley with [BLEEP] offensive line play up front and a lack of running game over the last two years with Lawrence. 

We could potentially trade down, pick-up the top available interior player on either side of the football, and, it wouldn't break my heart at all if they did go WR and CB in RD2 and/or RD3. Maybe you can land a guy like Ladd McConkey. Troy Franklin or Keon Coleman in RD2. I wouldn't sleep on Xavier Legette, Roman Wilson, Ricky Pearsall or Devontez Walker neither. 

There's some good NFL bloodlines in this draft as well. Brenden Rice and Luke McCaffrey should be considered at some point. Here's what I did. Since I am feeling squirely with Sportskeeda's simulator. 

Swapped picks 17 and 117 for Detroit's picks of 29, 61 & 73. 

Went with:
Troy Fautanu - G - 29th.
Ruke Orhorhoro - DT - 48th. 
Xavier Legette - WR - 61st. 
T.J Tampa - CB - 73rd. 
Tanor Bortolini - C - 96th. 
Tyler Nubin - S - 115th. 
Max Melton - CB - 152nd. 
Julian Pearl - LT - 195th. 
Anthony Gould - WR/KR/PR - 211th. 
Mohamed Kamara - EDGE - 234th.

Don't want to be "that guy," but getting Fautanu at 29 would be a 2024 draft miracle.

---