Jacksonville Jaguars 2016 NFL mock draft
By John Buhler
Seventh Round: Ryan Malleck: Tight End, Virginia Tech
Tight end is somewhat of an area that the Jacksonville Jaguars could look to improve. Though the team already has a great starting tight end in Julius Thomas, the offense wasn’t anywhere near the same when he wasn’t playing in the early part of the season.
With veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis really just a blocking tight end at this point of his NFL career, Jacksonville could take Ryan Malleck out of Virginia Tech with their seventh round draft selection.
Playing for a coach like Frank Beamer does wonders for Malleck’s stock, as it means he’s coachable and able to play on a big stage like at a program like Virginia Tech. This is most likely a depth pick at this late stage in the draft, but a young team like the Jaguars should always look to improve their depth, even at positions like tight end where it already has a Pro Bowl caliber player.
This 2016 NFL Draft for the Jaguars is all about solidifying their defense and finding complementary pieces for their franchise quarterback in Blake Bortles. Should general manager David Caldwell and head coach Gus Bradley navigate this draft successfully, the Jaguars could end their dark days as a franchise and start to contend in the AFC South once again.
The future is very bright in Jacksonville and it may take only one more solid draft to get the Jaguars back into a contending team, possibly ending their playoff drought as early as next season.