Jacksonville Jaguars 2016 NFL mock draft
By John Buhler
The Jacksonville Jaguars are likely one draft away from being a strong football team in the AFC South.
The Jacksonville Jaguars enter Week 16 with a 5-9 record in 2015. That doesn’t seem all that great, but keep in mind that Jacksonville finished 3-13 in 2014 and have not made the AFC Playoffs since 2007.
The Jaguars have looked strong at times, albeit in a weak AFC South, but still have nine losses on the season and have to shift their focus to the 2016 NFL Draft. They likely aren’t catching the 7-7 Houston Texans for the AFC South Division title.
Jacksonville seems to have it figured out in the passing game and does have some great playmakers on the defensive side of the football for head coach Gus Bradley. In year two, starting quarterback Blake Bortles has already thrown for a franchise-record number of touchdowns in a season and was one of three quarterbacks with over 30 entering Week 15. He benefits from having great receiving targets like Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, tight end Julius Thomas, and Marqise Lee.
Defensively, the Jaguars feature a former Pro Bowler at linebacker in Paul Posluszny and a rising star in linebacker Telvin Smith, who is making a big splash in 2015. The offense is little ahead of Bradley’s defense, but keep in mind that No. 3 overall pick Dante Fowler, Jr. out of the University of Florida tore his ACL in the first practice of rookie camp.
In the 2016 NFL Draft, the Jaguars will have eight picks to bolster their roster. One of those picks, a sixth rounder, comes via the trade Jacksonville made with the Pittsburgh Steelers to send kicker Josh Scobee to the Iron City.
Jacksonville general manager David Caldwell will likely look to find playmakers on the defensive side of the football, as well as find complementary pieces on offensive. Here is what the Jaguars could do this spring in this 2016 NFL mock draft.
Next: First Round