Welcome into a special pre draft edition of Jags A. I'm kind Anne Stephen's here with John Osier. Brian Sexton on location in Detroit, the site of this year's draft. Will check in with him a little bit later on in the show. But John, we're getting there. It's almost draft day tomorrow.
Yeah, and I was thinking on the way over here today, thirty drafts for me, thirty drafts for the franchise, more far more significantly, they've picked number one and early in the draft a lot, unfortunately, never picked late. You know, that's where you want to be, picking in number thirty two. But this year, number seventeen, it's about as in the middle as you can get, and about as in the
middle as they've ever picked. So an interesting thing, I think, because they're so in the middle, trade up, trade back as possible, and we'll certainly get into all that.
We shall. Let's start off with big things. Our first big thing today is going to be pick your poison, because they are at seventeen. There's a couple of different ways that could go with this. We've talked a lot about possibly going cornerback route, but if you see somebody falling, there's always that option to trade up. I still think that's definitely in play, and John, we've talked about there's other positions that we really wouldn't be surprised if they went with that.
You have been so focused on corner since this thing started because I see a need and I see a sort of a sweet spot with need value at that spot. But there's people who think they may trade up for a receiver. I'd be surprised if that happens. As possible to me, and I'll get into this later in the show.
If you take offensive or defensive line. As I've gotten older and crustier, I just believe that you can't go wrong if you're stout, if you can affect the quarterback, if you can protect, if you can run block most you know very few teams that are really good. There are bad. If you have to go line, fine, go line.
Never a bad thing to big strong guy in your football team, that's for sure. Our second big thing today is gonna be want versus need. Now, we heard some from the general manager, who has not been known to share very much, but he did say that if he saw that they were at a point in the draft where it was wants or a need versus best player available. You might hedge a little toward need.
Well, most of the time, you know, there isn't that biggest separation between a need and in another position, right So when in doubt, you're gonna take the need if it's close, obviously, if it's if there's a great distance between the two, you got to weigh that out, you know. And usually what we've done in the past is stick with the formula to take the best player available. Now again, if it's close, we're gonna take the higher need.
I think that's how most people would probably play it. I'm sure that take the best player available. People are pulling their hair out right right now hearing that. But I mean, it doesn't make sense if you're one or two picks off of someone and you don't think it's a home run sure thing, you're gonna go with what you need on your team right now.
Yeah, It's it's easy to get lost in the theoretical part of BAP best available player. And I think what I mean by that is when you talk about it so much, we'll always take the best available player. Well, there's this vision that you started the best player in the draft, you go down to three hundred and thirty, and then there's these huge gaps that make it obvious. Well, the reality is there's usually clusters in the draft. There's about seven or eight guys here that are about the same.
You can't really if you ask to GM, hey, why is this guy better, he'd say they're about the same. So within those clusters, teams take need. So that's where sometimes the BAP purist as I call them, can get a little bit, you know, like philosophers, where they just okay, they don't put it into real life all the time. In real life, you can cluster these guys and then choose your need, which is why kai you never see teams take eight centers.
I mean we could use eight centers. Sure, well no, I'm just kidding. We have a new center, we have old sunder, and we have plenty of offensive line play that could be something they address at the draft. Our final big thing today Draft Day in Detroit. Brian is on location and Detroit's already talking to people all day long, and he's caught up with Daniel Jeremiah, who had a little bit to say about who he thinks in terms of Quinnon Mitchell maybe heading to this.
Team oh, Quinnon, Mitchell. It's a press corner every day of the week and twice on Sunday, So that makes the most sense to me for them. If you're thinking about marrying a player with the team and you look at the not only the press man, but just the traits, you know, the height, weight, speed, combination, the toughness, the physicality. That kind of fits baal Key's background as well. So if you're marrying a player that would be one with the team that I think would make a lot.
Of sense to Dud Johnny's fan in the Flames. Could be cornerback.
Yeah, again, I think it's cornerback. I think it would be Mitchell if he falls to him or Terry and Arnold is sort of who I'm thinking going with. So it will be a draft. As Bucky Brooks has said multiple t times on our channels, that shows you a lot about what this team is defensively. I think you will see press corner a huge priority, maybe tomorrow night, because that's the way they want to play. I also think you'll see it sometime again before Day three gets
very long. I think you'll see it before the fourth fifth round.
Very good, all right, we're gonna take a quick break. Then we'll check in with Brian, who is in on location at Detroit in Detroit at the draft. We'll see you right after the break. Move the fray, move the freight. Magellan Transport voted the coolest office space in Jacksonville. You can apply online at Magellanlogistics dot com.
Al remember did a great jot of bearing me for it. So it's been long, but it's almost like the season. Like the season is long as highs as low. But at the same time, you gotta stay focused on the end goal. And my goal is to get the whatever organization or whatever organization next.
I'm gonna go.
Out there and give him my all and I'll just make a difference.
Alabama cornerback Terry and Arnold. That's someone we've been talking about. John possibly headed to Jacksonville if he's still on the board at that point. Let's check in with Brian, who's on location right now. And Brian Sexson's in Detroit. He's our draft guy there. What's been going on so far?
Brian, Well, we were out this morning with the players, the prospects, and some special Olympians and some youth football players over at the corner Ballpark. It was cool because it was the site of the legendary Tiger Stadium here in Detroit, so we got to spend some time. I wouldn't say it's cold, right, I mean, the wind is blowing at fifteen miles an hour, it's gray. It's I guess exactly what you'd expect from the Upper Midwest in late April. It could be seventy and sunny.
It's not.
It's cold. So we were outside, got a chance to catch up with a couple of those guys and to get a feel for it and just to kind of get the buzz right. Talking to members of the media, national media guys and John everybody seems to have their eye on corner for the Jaguars. You know, there's a little thought to maybe moving towards a receiver, but not a lot of play for either offensive or defensive line either.
To talk to the experts in the NFL network, guys that were round like Charles Davis, who I got a chance to visit with, in Joel Klatt, and of course Daniel Jeremiah, they all have put cornerback on the Jaguars list.
Here's what's interesting. It seems like they're gonna have the pick of the litter, because there are teams that are trying to maneuver their way into quarterback range and guys who are falling back from the upper reaches of the top ten back towards ten, eleven, twelve, where there'll be a receiver or an offensive lineman. Seems like maybe both
of these corners are gonna slide through. Talking to a reporter from Philadelphia, it's not sure that the Eagles are that willing to move up for a corner because they believe that Terry and Arnold or Quiny and Mitchell are
there and if they're not. There's a lot of people that really like Nate Wiggins from Clemson, and you think, well, there's only a hunter of seventy three pounds, but he's got the speed that if he gets beat at the line of scrimmage in a press man situation, that they think he could turn and run and really make plays down the field. And of course people like Cooper to gen I like him a lot too. They call him a chess piece of guy that you can play inside
outside either safety position. So there's four names that really stand out at the cornerback position and the Jaguars seemed to be in a position if that's what they're going to take to get the guy they like the most.
Ryan, you got to talk to some of these guys today. Where are your impressions? I know you talked to two of the cornerback prospects.
Yeah, well you just played a bit of the interview with Terry and Arnold. Really a sharp kid from Tallahassee. He played at John Paul the Second High School. There is a half brother to Leon Washington, so he's got a little Jacksonville tie. Would love the idea of staying in the South of coming back to Jacksonville. When you ask him what type of a corner is Can he play mirror? Is he press? He'll do it all, but he wants to be a shut down corner. Of course, most of these guys are going to say that a
kid well spoken, a pretty good sized kid too. You see the hype weight. He's five to eleven, one hundred and eighty seven pounds, but seemed pretty sturdy. QUINYA. Mitchell really an oppressive kid from Williston, Florida, about twenty miles south of Gainesville. Has been playing up in Toledo. Doesn't matter where he goes. Really a confident kid who knew when he showed up in Mobile for the Senior Bowl that he was gonna etch his name in Stone as one of the top two cornerbacks in this draft and
is potentially a top ten draft pick. Even though he played at Toledo in the Mid American Conference. He knew his skill level was strong enough to be able to compete. He did that in Mobile, He's done that at all the workouts. Really a confident kid, well spoken, nice kid. Both of these guys seem like they're ready to take that next step and not just play on Sundays, but to contribute immediately.
Yeah.
Kai, Both of these guys feel like pedigree guys, meaning you never hear anything when you're talking to people about the draft. You never we're hearing you hear very few yeah butts. You know.
Uh.
They're both guys who love football, want to be a lot better the second year than they are the first year. They're both workers. I would think, just based on pre draft vibe, if they're both there, you probably go with Quinnion Mitchell because, as Daniel Jeremiah said, perfect fit for what they want to do. He's sort of been you see him rated more as the number one corner and Terry and Arnold don't think you can go wrong with both. And you know, if if they both slide there, it'll
be an interesting decision. But if they're both there, as much as I like the idea of line, I'd be hard pressed to say they go anywhere but at corner.
All right, we're all gonna kind.
Of talking con Brian just gonna say, talking talking to people around here today and around the National Football League, they think that Terry and Arnold gives them the positional flexibility to play inside or outside. They think Mitchell's primarily going to be an outside guy. And I know that we've heard that Darnell Savage is to be that nickel and play inside. So that's not a guy John that
they really need to target the inside. But Terry and Arnold is thought to be able to thrive inside or outside. So look to see what they like there.
If you're short termed, then you like Arnold because I think they do need somebody who play.
Now right away, all right, we're gonna shift a little bit from cornerback. We're all gonna kind of who you got, right, Who do you want to bang the table for where do you want this team to go? Interestingly enough, we all did not pick cornerbacks. We thought that was a little too easy. So John, where would you go? Who would you go out and say we need this guy?
Well, somebody gonna help me with the name, because I always butcher it, but KAI got to thank you. I'm not so much banging the table for him specifically as I am the idea of line meaning I get corner as a need. I think they're gonna get either go corner. I don't think you go receiver in round one because
it's such a deep receiver draft. I guess as I get older and see more and more teams that lose because they can't hold up on the offensive line, or because you're not stout defensively because you're not getting to the pass or I would have zero problem with either line, even if it's an offensive lineman that can't start right away bulking up getting solid to where you don't have to worry about those two spots. So give me the pass rusher here.
Uh.
It would be a shock to people because we've been talking so much about other spots. But if they step up and say, hey, we needed more pass rush more pressure. If that's what Trent Falke sanding the podium Thursday, I wouldn't find that silly at all.
Brian actually caught up with Lot two a little bit earlier today and he kind of talked about what he would bring to a team's rush game.
I mean, I'm someone who's you know, in love with pastor us and love in the game of football. I mean, I'm always learning something new about pastors and you know, being just very technical with what I do and making sure that you know my band will you know, be able to get me around those old linemen and at least just always setting that up.
So I mean, Ran, I know you were impressed with what you heard from Lot to in his interview. You think you'd be a good fit if they were able to get.
All energetic kid, really an energetic kid and probably the best all around pass rusher in terms of the number of moves, and he's really athletic. You can just see that he could get low and get that shoulder to the ground and get around tackles. Told me that his neck is just fine, and that's what most NFL teams have found through the medical process. There'll probably be a couple of teams that will shy away from that. Here's
the thing that really stood out to me. You know, these guys talk about the end of their college season, going right into their training right, and then it just keeps running all the way through their rookie season. One, he has the energy to handle it. Two, he's got the perspective because he's a guy who a few years ago was out of football. The University of Washington retired him because they didn't want the liability for that neck. So then after COVID he comes out, goes to UCLA
and is a tremendous pass rusher. He's a guy a lot of people would like to see, and you can never have enough pass.
Rush that maybe something where if they are able to move up to get him. I did something similar. I think if they're able to move up, if they see Roma Dunze go past maybe five or six, I want them to give up whatever they have to do to go get him. I'm going wide receiver. I know a lot of people have been saying this. You know, they want to trade for t Higgins, they want Brandan Auke. I would love to get someone in this draft. This
is a deep draft. Obviously there's the top three. Those are the guys that are like the no doubters, right, if you can have a chance at a Duneesa dropping down to anywhere where you can trade up and get him, you have to get him in. And if that's not an option, I wouldn't be upset if they did. Ad Mitchell, I know he's falling down some boards for different reasons. I don't know why I think that's an option. You
just need a speed guy that can separate. That's what this team's been missing, A bigger, taller receiver that can do that. If that's someone they can round out this offense with and just go full Born score thirty five points and everybody, that's something I'd love to see. I don't know if that will happen. I don't know if they'll try to get a wide receiver a little bit later on because it is such a deep draft. But Brian, do you feel like they might be able to make some.
Davis Well, Charles Davis doesn't think you're gonna be able to sit back and have him slide. He told a story about a couple of different gms he's talked to who watched him at the combine. Remember, he was a guy that had that lung injury, and two weeks later he was back on the field and playing. He didn't
miss a game. He worked all the way through the off week that Washington had, but he didn't get the three cone drill that he wanted at the combine and they were literally turning out the lights in the building and he was off to the side, still working on
trying to get that time. And so apparently, again this is from Charles Davis, this is a guy that NFL personnel people love, and he doesn't think that the Bears are going to have a shot at him, because he was telling that to me and to a Chicago reporter. He doesn't think that the Bears are going to get him at nine without moving up. So at donsday's a guy you're going to have to go up to get. Yeah.
Bucky Brooks on the Huddle of podcast this week was really good on a Douneesday, basically saying that out of the guys at the top, not denigrating anybody else, but this is a kid who quote loves football, trying to get better all the time. They consider him a very safe pick in the sense that you know, he is not going to let anything distract him from the job at hand. Most guys are like that. He's probably a little more like that than others.
Good to hear, all right, Brian, who's.
Daniel Jeremiah called him a sleep well I was gonna say, Daniel Jeremiah called him asleep well? You take roma, doun zay, you sleep well. You don't worry about that. My guy is Troy fontinatt fa oh tanu there, I can't say it fast Otano from Washington. I had a guy in Dallas tell me that he believed that it was this year's Zach Martin. And for a team that was as ineffective at converting in short yarded situations and running the
ball between the tackles, who doesn't need Zack Martin. A perennial All Pro offensive lineman probably could play right tackle because he's got the same size profile and really long arms like Leon SEARSI probably not a left tackle in the NFL, though that's what he played at Washington. In other words, this is a guy who's a great offensive lineman, can really play wherever you want, from right tackle over to left guard.
But would give you.
A guy on the inside that would be thought of as one of the best interior offensive linemen within the first three years of his career. I've been on the offensive lineman bandwagon since we started this process, so I'm staying with it. And I'll take Troy fa Otanu as the guy that I would stand and bang the table with, because who doesn't need a great offensive lineman.
Yeah, wouldn't mind seeing it. It feels to me like this is a little bit of an all in year in terms of what they did in free agency, what they didn't.
Uh.
I think they're going to do in the draft. So I think they're going a little more for need. And that's why I keep saying corner and you know, within this scope, it's gonna be corner. Brian, I'd have no problem with this guy. Would like to see them stouter on both sides.
As we've learned, you can never have too many offensive linemen.
Yep.
I'll just leave you with this thought from Detroit, and that is there's just a strong corner vibe with the Jaguars. I don't know that they're on it because Trent Balky is not a guy who throws his opinion even behind the scenes. He's very tight with what he's thinking. Don't know what the head coach is thinking, so my guess is as good as anyone's. But I just have this sense that John corners where they're going.
Brian, thanks for joining us. We'll be checking in with you again tomorrow live from the Draft.
You got it, guys, have a great rest of the show.
Stay with us here on jags Am. We're gonna do a little ozone mail bag when we come back here after the break. Jaguars fans, you can gear up at fanatics dot com with the latest jag styles. Shop now and get today's special offer. Fanatics dot Com officially licensed everything. Oh, welcome back to jack Zam. We're gonna do an ozone mail bag special edition from EverBank Stadium. We're getting ready for the draft party, John and I are or it's getting a little seamy. It's heating up here, but it's
a beautiful day. We're not gonna rub it into much. Brian's freezing in Detroit, So this is this is better.
It's good to talk to Brian. Wasn't what all right?
Let's do our mail bag here, John. Our first question is gonna be Michael from Orange Park Florida says, I'm okay with paying to you law but making him the NFL's highest peed player, make it make sense.
Yeah, when I was choosing these, I went away a little bit from the draft because we're talking about it so much in your This is sort of a topic their reports, speculation, et cetera. Last week that you know they might sign Trevor Lawrence to a long term extension sometime before the draft. I don't know it's gonna happen.
Feels like it's going to trend toward it happening this offseason, which makes sense because that's when the Borough the Mahomes contract got done to Josh Allen in that season, go on into year four. Make it makes sense, Well, they believe he's the franchise quarterback, and at this point, you want to lock that up. You want to get the cap in line. Why highest paid player. I don't know if he's gonna be the highest paid player, but if he is, the reason that makes sense is that's just
what happens with quarterbacks. If you believe he's trending toward being an elite guy, then you have to pay him based on how the quarterback market goes and like the red red balloon goes up, up up, and it's yeah, you can't pay a franchise quarterback that the league believes is a franchise quarterback, meaning this, if he was in this draft, where would he go? Probably number one? So you still believe in the guy. If you want to lock it up, it's.
Going to be very expensive, all right. Our second question is Jerry from Jacksonville Beach, Florida. He says, you continue to discount the idea of a wide receiver. I don't get this.
Yeah, I mean this is a draft related question obviously, so I don't discount the idea of hey, it'd be great to get a one. I do discount the idea for the reason it's a deep drafted receiver. People think you can go as low as round three and get a starter. Now, I get they're starter than they're special the guys at the top or special that you think, okay, impact right away. There's also a belief in this offense that you don't necessarily need that a number one alpha
receiver to be a good offense. I also think there's other needs. The corner just seems like you get that there. You can go receiver to contribute along with a good group. I could be wrong. Maybe they go and get a guy in the top ten. To me, that seems like a lot of equity to give up to go get a position where you're okay, and that there's other needs on the roster. So we'll see tomorrow.
Our final question is gonna come from Devin. He says, Trevor Trevor Trevor. Is there any story with Etn's contract a fifth year option? Do we suddenly doubt our running back? No?
And it's Trevor Trevor Trevor, because he's the quarterback, quarterback, quarterback, and so that's what you talk about. You're also not hearing a lot about Travis Etn's contract because he's a running back. He has at least two years left, meaning this he has one more you left on the deal. They have a fifth year option. You would think they would pick that up. That takes you through twenty twenty five.
And the reality is, look, I love Travis. This organization loves Travis running backs for extensions for four or five year extensions. Along the line is Trevor Lawrence. It's a little bit of a different issue where you usually if you love the guy, you franchise him. If you love the guy, then you offer him a two or three year deal. There's time on That is the biggest reason, though I have no idea what they're going to offer Travis. I don't know those details. But with quarterback, you lock
it up with wide. With running back, there's a little bit more of a wiggle room to see. Let's how this, Let's see how this plays out. Unfortunately, for the running back position, it's less of a market where you get locked up right away.
We've seen the running back market change a lot over the last couple of seasons, and as we've mentioned, they want to probably see something in these next two years, whether that be from the offensive line setting up the run game a little bit more, or Travis himself.
It's just hard to commit to. I mean, it's it's uh. You know, some running backs that I've covered have been my favorite players to be around. Really wish that their careers lasted longer over you know, the summary of the league, so that they were treated better in terms of long term contract. But the way teams do it, they believe that there's a shelf life, so you don't necessarily come in on year four and offer a five year extension.
The risk is too high, and it's it's the world we live in right now, so that'd be that, that'd be.
That, all right, Davis, We'll come back after the break and tell you what we've got coming up for draft coverage the rest of the week. Whether you need air, electric, our plumbing service Donovan is always a good call. We've been trusted by our customers for almost forty years, so trust us to deliver fast, reliable service to your home. Donovan. Aaron Plumbing actually sponsoring our draft show here in the
stadium tomorrow night that I'll be hosting. So if you're a fan and you want to come out for that, there's gonna be tons of great stuff. They're setting up now. I believe they're setting up a combine out there, john Are you gonna run that?
I'm not gonna rine it, but look at that 'ru on the big board.
Look at us jagsam making the big board. Johnna. You don't want to run the combine stuff? You want to test your.
Forty Nobody wants to see that. It's not that it's not that I don't desire to do it. It's it's been requested that that not happen.
Okay, higher ups, Okay, that's fair. What will you be doing instead of that today? On Draft Night?
On Draft Night, I'll be I'll be riding, I'll be on the air with JP Shatick and uh, you know, breaking down the draft.
Very good. I think we have a special happy audition it'll be right set up here, and then a pre show as well for the drafts and of course post draft analysis all week long. Really we'll be talking to all the new draft picks that we've got, and a press conference hopefully on Friday as well from our first round pick. So make sure you check out Jaguars dot com all weekend long to have you covered on your draft coverage, and we will talk to you more tomorrow