Without a doubt, Trevor Lawrence is the most valuable player on the Jacksonville Jaguars right now. This begs the question, what would they do if he wasn’t available and had to pick someone else in an All-Star Mock Draft? Chad Reuter of NFL Media believes they would choose the best receiver in the league.
Reuter did a win-now draft and had Lawrence going to the New Orleans Saints at No. 14. By the time the Jags selected, three picks later, most of the top quarterbacks were off the board, so they went with All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill.
“Speaking of Hill, the Jaguars decide he is worth taking as the first building block of their offense over the remaining available quarterbacks.”
Reuter previously mentioned Hill because he says that Tua Tagovailoa’s success isn’t the result of throwing passes to the star receiver or Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel’s scheme.
After Jacksonville chose Hill, the Cincinnati Bengals rolled with Kyler Murray at No. 18. It’s fair to wonder if they would’ve been better off picking him instead of Hill.
Make no mistake, Hill is a top 3 receiver and arguably the best in the NFL right now. A fifth-round by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2016, Cheeta mostly saw playing time as a receiver in his rookie season but still managed to tally 61 receptions for 593 yards with six touchdowns.
Aware of his big-play potential, the Chiefs moved him to receiver full-time in 2017. He proceeded to make four straight Pro Bowls at the position and earn two First-Team All-Pro designations. Looking for a payday, the West Alabama product was traded to the Miami Dolphins in 2022.
Hill has been a playmaker for the Dolphins, hauling in a combined 238 catches for 3,509 yards with 20 touchdowns the past two seasons. This is why he wants to get a contract adjustment despite the fact that he’s got three years left on his current deal.
The first 14 picks and 15 ouf the top 16 in Reuter’s mock were signal-callers. This isn’t surprising when you take into account that this is a quarterback-driven league. Defensive end Myles Garrett, at No. 15 was the first non-quarterback to go, and right after him, the Seattle Seahawks chose Tua Tagovailoa.
Tyreek Hill wasn’t a bad pick per se, but the Jacksonville Jaguars could also have taken star running back Christian McCaffrey or edge rusher Micah Parsons. Then again, it would be hard to see them select any other player besides Trevor Lawrence if they could.
Lawrence, the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, struggled as a rookie but that was mostly because then-head coach Urban Meyer didn’t put him in a position to succeed. Once Doug Pederson took over the following year, the former Clemson Tiger was able to play like a top-10 quarterback. Furthermore, he played a huge role in the Jaguars’ turnaround.
Even last season, when Lawrence dealt with injuries, he was a big reason the Jags started 8-3. Had he stayed healthy, there’s a good chance Jacksonville would’ve qualified for the second straight year.
But despite taking a step in 2023, Lawrence got an extension that makes him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL. The Jaguars know he’s their guy. The rest of the league knows it too, which is why he was picked early in Reuter’s mock draft.
More Jaguars analysis here:
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Publish date : 2024-07-10 03:00:00
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