Grading the Jaguars 2023 Draft Class
The 2023 NFL Draft is now in the books and the Jaguars 2023 draft class is officially set. General manager Trent Baalke traded back multiple times in this draft and ended up selecting 13 players. The Jaguars drafted Anton Harrison (OT), Brenton Strange (TE), Tank Bigsby (HB), Ventrell Miller (ILB), Tyler Lacy (DL), Yasir Abdullah (OLB), Antonio Johnson (DB), Parker Washington (WR), Christian Braswell (DB), Erick Hallett II (DB), Raymond Vohasek (DL), and Derek Parish (FB). With a massive Trevor Lawrence contract extension likely on the horizon in the next couple of years, Baalke was probably looking for the flexibility of having a multitude of players on cheap four-year rookie contracts. He accomplished that in this draft, bringing in 13 new players and addressing the weaker position groups with nearly all of them — even if it did take longer than expected for some positions.
27. Anton Harrison, OT (Oklahoma)
NEED: A+
VALUE: A+
OVERALL: A+
With the injury and suspension of Cam Robinson and the departure of Jawaan Taylor in free agency, offensive tackle shot straight to the top of the list of Jacksonville’s needs this offseason. While many fans believe that the biggest hole on the Jaguars roster was at nickel corner, the reality is that finding a quality player at the nickel position later in the draft is much easier than finding a good offensive tackle. The draft is never an exact science and there are always late round surprises, but it did seem as though there was a significant drop-off in talent at the offensive tackle position after Anton Harrison and Matthew Bergeron. Therefore, the positional value and dire team need alone make this a good pick before even getting into Anton himself. That being said, Harrison was widely considered to be one of the best pass blockers and most athletic tackles in this class throughout the draft process. Harrison played over 1,800 snaps in his three years at Oklahoma and only allowed four sacks and three quarterback hits over that span of time. He projects as an immediate starter at right tackle for the Jaguars while Walker Little will probably start at left tackle during Cam Robinson’s suspension. This could potentially even be an early look at the starting offensive tackles for 2024 as Robinson could be a potential cap casualty next offseason.
61. Brenton Strange, TE (Penn State)
NEED: A+
VALUE: C-
OVERALL: C+
The Brenton Strange pick was certainly…strange. Not bad, just strange. The main reason for that is because Georgia tight end Darnell Washington was still on the board when Jacksonville made this selection. With the departure of Chris Manhertz, Jacksonville lacked the presence of a solid run blocking tight end going into this draft and Washington seemed to fit that mold nicely. A common player comparison for Washington was former Jaguar great Marcedes Lewis, which would seem like a match made in heaven. However, NFL teams have access to medical reports that the rest of us do not and injury concerns apparently pushed Washington down draft boards. If Washington’s injury concerns become a non-factor, the Jaguars may regret passing on him. However, they still selected a great player at a position of need in Brenton Strange and did not reach too high to get him. While Strange does not have the elite run blocking skills of Manhertz or Washington, he will likely slot in immediately as the TE2 for the Jaguars and should have an impact right away.
88. Tank Bigsby, HB (Auburn)
NEED: B+
VALUE: C+
OVERALL: B-
The Tank Bigsby pick was another pick that tested the patience of Jaguars fans as they again opted not to draft a nickel cornerback with great slot defenders like Kelee Ringo, Clark Phillips III, and Antonio Johnson still on the board. Picking one of those guys probably would have made more sense here, or at least it seemed that way at the time. That being said, Tank Bigsby is an excellent running back with a great track record and a long resume of production in the SEC; he has over 3,300 career scrimmage yards and 25 touchdowns. He will probably be the primary backup for Travis Etienne, a role formerly occupied by James Robinson. With this pick, Jacksonville continued on their mission to build around Trevor Lawrence on the offensive side of the ball and here they picked a great running back with lots of burst on tape.
121. Ventrell Miller, ILB (Florida)
NEED: F
VALUE: C-
OVERALL: D-
The Ventrell Miller pick was puzzling to say the least and was probably the worst pick the Jaguars made in this draft. First of all, the Jaguars did not need another off-ball linebacker given the high selections of Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma in last year’s draft, not to mention the expensive contract extension recently given to Foye Oluokun. Furthermore, Shaq Quarterman has been a serviceable backup for multiple years. Barring injury or severe regression by any of the current linebackers, Miller likely will not see the field this year. Not only did the Jaguars select a player in the fourth round that they did not need and probably will not use, they also reached on a player that probably should have gone lower in the draft. While terrible, it’s hard to say that this pick is surprising as the Jaguars have a longstanding trend of over-valuing average players from the University of Florida. The Jaguars have used approximately 20% of their all time first round picks on Florida Gators, having been a franchise for 29 NFL drafts and selecting a University of Florida player in the first round six times. Outside of Fred Taylor, none have lived up to their draft position. Reggie Nelson, Derrick Harvey, Dante Fowler Jr, Taven Bryan, and CJ Henderson can all safely be classified as busts for the Jaguars, although Nelson did go on to have a decent career in his post-Jacksonville days. On the bright side, Miller was a three time captain at Florida and was a solid piece of Florida’s defense for multiple years, even leading the team in tackles once. While he may be of minimal impact this year, Miller’s intangibles will most likely earn him a roster spot this year as a special teamer and hopefully a rotational role in the future.
130. Tyler Lacy, DL (Oklahoma State)
NEED: A
VALUE: A
OVERALL: A
After a couple of confusing picks by the Jaguars, they appeared to get back on track with the Tyler Lacy pick. While the Jaguars again passed on a nickel cornerback to the frustration of many fans, they did address a need with a very good player. Tyler Lacy projects as a big-bodied defensive end who will probably move inside on passing downs; think Dawuane Smoot, who the Jaguars unfortunately did not bring back this offseason. There is also an argument that Lacy is basically the Walmart brand Tyree Wilson, who was a top ten pick. They are similarly sized with similar career statistics against the same level of competition in the Big 12. Lacy will likely be an impact player right away that should find himself in the thick of the defensive line rotation immediately.
136. Yasir Abdullah, OLB (Louisville)
NEED: A+
VALUE: A-
OVERALL: A
With the Tyler Lacy pick, the Jaguars replaced Dawuane Smoot. Here, Trent Baalke attempted to find the replacement for rotational edge rusher Arden Key by selecting Yasir Abdullah. Smoot and Key were both big contributors along the defensive line last season for the Jags and replacing both of them was definitely a priority in this draft. Although they waited until the middle rounds to do so, Jacksonville did select two quality players at those positions who should both contribute right away in Lacy and Abdullah. Yasir Abdullah is slightly undersized at the edge rusher position standing at 6’1, 237 lbs, but his college production and combine results are undeniable. Abdullah totaled 209 tackles, 42 tackles for loss, 23.5 sacks, three interceptions, and eight passes defensed throughout his college career. He showed off his speed and burst at the combine with his 4.47 second 40 yard dash, his 36.5 inch vertical, and his 10’9 foot broad jump. Abdullah was utilized as an athletic hybrid edge rusher and off-ball linebacker at Louisville and will likely be used similarly in Jacksonville as the Jaguars just drafted themselves a menace in the front seven.
160. Antonio Johnson, DB (Texas A&M)
NEED: A+
VALUE: A+
OVERALL: A+
In the fifth round, the Jaguars finally decided to address their need at nickel corner by drafting Antonio Johnson, who was probably the best pick Jacksonville made in this draft when it comes to team need and value. Many considered Johnson to be a second or early third round pick throughout the draft process; he was even mocked to go late in the first round by some analysts. Essentially, the Jaguars could have taken him as early as the second round and fans probably would’ve been happy. The fact of the matter is that this selection slightly improves the value of every single selection the Jaguars made before this pick as they probably selected an immediate impact defender at their biggest position of need on the defensive side of the ball here. Johnson was utilized as a box safety primarily operating near the line of scrimmage at Texas A&M and those skills translate nicely to the NFL as a slot defender. He should massively improve Jacksonville’s ability to defend short and intermediate routes in the passing game, an area in which they struggled mightily last season. One has to wonder why Johnson slipped to the fifth round, but from the outside looking in, this seems like a home run pick for the Jaguars here in the fifth round.
185. Parker Washington, WR (Penn State)
NEED: A-
VALUE: A+
OVERALL: A+
Despite the exciting Calvin Ridley trade, the Jaguars definitely still needed to add depth to the wide receiver room this offseason with the departure of Marvin Jones Jr in free agency. Parker Washington will fill that role nicely and will likely serve as the primary backup to Christian Kirk operating out of the slot. Jamal Agnew acted in that role last season and while he did a fine job, his skills are better utilized as an elite returner and gadget weapon. Therefore, the team need was definitely present here for the Jaguars to address. They addressed it nicely, taking a wide receiver in the sixth round that was widely considered a Day Two prospect who had been ranked highly on mainstream draft boards for multiple years. There is good reason for that as Washington was a significant contributor at Penn State for three years, appearing in 32 games and hauling in 146 receptions for 1,920 yards and 12 touchdowns. Those are pretty impressive numbers in a Penn State offense that is never really known for its passing attack. However, even more impressive than Washington’s statistics is his highlight reel. On tape he shows burst, speed, and shiftiness that will fit right into Doug Pederson’s offense and will likely make an impact right away.
202. Christian Braswell, DB (Rutgers)
NEED: A-
VALUE: C
OVERALL: B-
This pick along with the next one can probably best be described as Antonio Johnson insurance. Christian Braswell will likely compete for the nickel corner position with Antonio Johnson and Tre Herndon. When looking at Braswell, it’s easy to see why he is an intriguing prospect that caught the attention of Trent Baalke. He’s not the biggest cornerback, standing at 5’10, 185 lbs, but he tested extremely well as an athlete with a 40 inch vertical jump and a 4.49 second 40 yard dash time. The Temple transfer was highly productive in his one year at Rutgers, earning All-Big Ten honorable mention honors for his performance. Braswell showed off his coverage skills last year as he broke up 11 passes and picked off three balls, returning one for a touchdown. Iron sharpens iron and bringing in multiple players to compete for this position of need for the Jaguars should only increase the quality of play at the nickel spot.
208. Erick Hallett II, DB (Pitt)
NEED: B+
VALUE: C
OVERALL: C+
Erick Hallett II is another player the Jaguars likely selected to compete for the nickel corner spot this year. Hallett had a productive career at Pitt, intercepting eight passes and returning one for a touchdown. He also tested well as an athlete with a 37.5 inch vertical and a 4.44 second 40 yard dash time. Again, the battle for the nickel corner spot between Antonio Johnson, Christian Braswell, Erick Hallett II, and incumbent Tre Herndon will certainly be one that Jaguar fans keep a close eye on throughout training camp and the preseason as it was certainly a weakness in the defense last season.
226. Cooper Hodges, IOL (Appalachian State)
NEED: C+
VALUE: D
OVERALL: C-
While it is tough to be overly critical of seventh round flier picks, there is a legitimate gripe to be had with this one. This has little to do with Cooper Hodges himself as he was largely an unknown to everybody before being selected. The real problem with the Hodges pick is another player by the name of Andrew Vorhees that was still on the board when this pick was made. Vorhees was considered one of the top interior offensive linemen in the draft and was probably a lock to go in Day Two before tearing his ACL at the NFL Combine this year. While it was extremely unfortunate and will likely land him on IR throughout the duration of his rookie year, it did not stop him from participating in the bench press and putting up the most reps of anyone in the class. It is hard to get the image out of one’s head of Vorhees limping up to the bench press in crutches and proceeding to put up 38 reps. If he makes a full recovery from his injury, the Ravens might have got themselves an absolute dog in the seventh round who could be a plug and play starter. Baalke’s recent track record of drafting value picks who fell in the draft due to ACL injuries has been stellar with picks like Walker Little and Andre Cisco panning out, so it was kind of surprising to see him pass on Vorhees for another guard here. Regardless, offensive guard was not a dire need for Jacksonville going into this draft with Ben Bartch and Tyler Shatley still on the roster this year, but hopefully Hodges can be a serviceable backup that can develop into a contributor later.
227. Raymond Vohasek, DL (UNC)
NEED: C
VALUE: C-
OVERALL: C
There is not a ton to say about the Raymond Vohasek pick other than that he adds depth to an interior defensive line group that is already relatively strong. The Jaguars have committed big money to Foley Fatukasi, DaVon Hamilton, and Roy Robertson-Harris along with having nice rotational guys on the interior like Adam Gotsis and fourth round pick Tyler Lacy. Vohasek has a battle ahead of him if he wants to make the 53 man roster, but it is certainly possible. If he does not make the roster, he will likely be a practice squad guy that could get called up if needed.
240. Derek Parish, FB (Houston)
NEED: B+
VALUE: C+
OVERALL: B
Derek Parish is one of the more fun players that Jacksonville drafted this year and will certainly be interesting to watch this upcoming season. He has quickly become a fan favorite in Duval as it has come to light that he once won an eating competition by devouring a seven pound steak. But when looking at what matters, it is still easy to get excited about him as a player. His move to fullback will certainly be interesting to watch, seeing how his skills as a defensive end translate. It is similar to when Trent Baalke drafted defensive end Bruce Miller to San Francisco from UCF and moved him to fullback. It seemed to workout relatively well until an off-field incident derailed Miller’s career. It is also interesting to think about what new looks and formations Doug Pederson will use next season with a true fullback on the roster. The Jaguars did not roster a fullback last season and instead utilized run blocking tight ends like Chris Manhertz and Luke Farrell. Farrell remains on the roster, but the run blocking prowess of Manhertz is missing from the tight end room and was not really addressed with the Brenton Strange pick. This is where Parish comes in. He will help to make sure the run game operates efficiently. While there is a lot to be excited about over Parish, it must be addressed that Hunter Luepke from NDSU, the consensus top fullback in the draft class, was still on the board when the Jaguars made this selection. It’s certainly possible that Parish ends up being the better choice, but it does slightly affect the value of this pick if Luepke does go on to have a better career than Parish.