2021 NFL Draft: Best available players for Jacksonville Jaguars - Big Cat Country

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The Jacksonville Jaguars are back on the clock for the first pick of the second round (No. 33 overall). Yesterday, the Jaguars surprised nobody by selecting Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence — the presumptive No. 1 overall pick throughout the entire pre-draft process — with the first pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. Then head coach Urban Meyer, general manager Trent Baalke and company made a bit of a surprising selection at No. 25 overall, with Lawrence’s college teammate, Clemson running back Travis Etienne.

With the first pick of the second round, as well another second-round selection (No. 45 overall) and a pick at the top of the third round (No. 65 overall), there is still a lot of talent on the board the Jaguars are looking to add on Day Two of the draft.

Below is a list of prospects who are both considered “best available” and make sense for the Jaguars to select. In fact, a few of these players were projected to Jacksonville at No. 25 overall in various mock drafts. With three Day Two picks (as of now), it would be possible for the Jaguars to land multiple players from the list below, but here are a few names to pay attention to on Friday night:

Trevon Moehrig, safety, Texas Christian University (TCU)

One of the most commonly-mocked player to the Jaguars at No. 25 overall, it is surprising Trevon Moehrig did not hear his named called in the first round of the NFL Draft. He is the No. 16 rated prospect on Daniel Jeremiah’s big board (NFL.com) overall, and the second best player left on Jeremiah’s board entering Friday.

While perhaps not the most exciting of prospects, Moehrig is one of the most fundamentally sound and versatile defensive backs left on the board. He could challenge Jarrod Wilson immediately for the free safety spot, play in the slot as a nickelback or provide quality depth for Jacksonville.

Christian Barmore, defensive tackle, Alabama

College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One - Alabama v Notre Dame

Christian Barmore is another player who has often been mocked to Jacksonville at pick No. 25 or No. 33 quite often. His play is raw and inconsistent, but without a defensive tackle going in the first round, Barmore could be the first at the position to hear his name called. While the Jaguars addressed the defensive line with smart, non-splashy signings in free agency, the interior defensive line is still a point of emphasis for the team in the draft, so Barmore makes some sense with the first pick of the second round.

Barmore is quite athletic for a man of his size (6-foot-4, 310 pounds), and is powerful and explosive. However, according to scouts, he needs to work on his technique fundamentals and overall football IQ, but he has boom or bust potential, with a better chance to “boom.”

Teven Jenkins, offensive tackle, Oklahoma State

As I had pointed out leading up the 2021 NFL Draft, the Jaguars were not interested in taking an offensive lineman in the first round, regardless of if fans wanted the team to do so or not. That proved to be true, and I am not sure Meyer and Baalke plan to address the offensive line at pick No. 33 in the second round, either. However, Teven Jenkins, who was projected by many as a first-rounder, would be a solid value pick, and it is unlikely he makes it to pick No. 45 overall.

Jenkins is a big, athletic lineman with powerful hands, who could challenge Jawaan Taylor right away for the starting right tackle role in Jacksonville. He needs to improve his balance, and doesn’t have great length, but is a solid prospect overall.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, linebacker, Notre Dame

A linebacker isn’t a huge need for the Jaguars with Joe Schobert and Myles Jack returning as starters, but if Jacksonville opts to go with the best player available, it may very well be Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who is the top-ranked remaining player on Daniel Jeremiah’s big board.

Owusu-Koramoah is a supreme athlete who has a great mix of explosion, speed and agility. He has the ability to be solid in pass coverage, and an effective blitzer off the edge. He’s a bit undersized at 6-foot-1, 221 pounds, and needs to work on his consistency and fundamentals, but his athletic traits can hide a lot of those concerns.

Asante Samuel Jr., cornerback, Florida State

Arguably the best cornerback prospect left on the board, Asante Samuel Jr. is on the smaller side at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, but his NFL pedigree (his father, Asante Samuel, is a former All-Pro cornerback), quick feet, good hands and awareness in coverage are all pluses. The Jaguars need depth at cornerback, particularly at the slot where Samuel could fill in and earn a role.

Samuel’s football IQ, positioning in coverage and solid footwork are other traits scouts love. However, he had a knack for drawing pass interference penalties in college, though, and his small stature could allow him to get beat on jump balls against bigger wide receivers. The good mostly outweighs the bad with Samuel’s play, though.

Elijah Moore, wide receiver, Ole Miss

Elijah Moore has the speed (4.35 40-yard dash time) that Meyer and company crave at the wide receiver position and could provide another weapon for Trevor Lawrence. Moore is a smaller receiver at 5-foot-9, 178 pounds, but is a burner and could be an ideal slot target for Lawrence. He is elusive with the ball in his hands, is a smooth route-runner, has strong hands, and despite his size, is tough as nails. He could also be used in the return game, out of the backfield or on jet sweeps.

The only true knocks on Moore are his stature and limited catch radius. You could argue that NFL cornerbacks could easily out-physical him, but he could end up having a very nice professional career.

Pat Freiermuth, tight end, Penn State

I don’t think the Jaguars pull the trigger at No. 33, but Jacksonville and Pat Freiermuth seems like a foregone conclusion if he is still on the board at pick No. 45. Meyer hired Tyler Bowen — Freiermuth’s college position coach — as Jacksonville’s new tight end coach. A tight end who can be a threat in the passing game is a huge area of need for the Jaguars —even if Tim Tebow may soon be joining the squad at the position.

Freiermuth is a big-bodied tight end (6-foot-5, 251 pounds) who has good hands and decent athleticism. His presence would immediately upgrade the Jaguars’ tight end room. Jacksonville plans to address the tight end position some time in the 2021 NFL Draft, and Freiermuth could fall into the team’s lap. There is no guarantee he will be on the board at pick No. 65, but if so, that would be a steal.

Levi Onwuzurike, defensive tackle, Washington

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 05 Washington at Stanford

Levi Onwuzurike opted-out of the 2020 season to focus on the 2021 NFL Draft. In three seasons of competition at Washington, Onwuzurike recorded 95 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss and seven sacks. He isn’t the biggest defensive tackle prospect at 6-foot-3, 290 pounds, but he was a disruptive force for the Huskies and would fill a need for the Jaguars.

Onwuzurike is a strong, physical presence with good feet and hands. Like Barmore, he is a bit raw and needs to improve his technique and pad level, but he made plenty of flashy plays in college. After a year off, it will be interesting to see how Onwuzurike develops in the NFL.

Azeez Ojulari, defensive end/EDGE, Georgia

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl - Cincinnati v Georgia

Azeez Ojulari recorded 12.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks in just 10 games in 2020. The Jaguars were abysmal at getting to the quarterback last season (just 18 sacks as a team, which ranked 31st in the NFL). So expect Meyer to try to add some edge rushers at some point during the draft.

Ojulari is on the small side for a defensive end at 6-foot-2, 249 pounds, but could be an ideal fit as a 3-4 outside linebacker/edge rusher in defensive coordinator Joe Cullen’s scheme, which is expected to be multiple, including 3-4 looks. Ojulari can improve in his pass-rushing moves, but is an athletic play-maker with a lot of potential.

Tyson Campbell, cornerback, Georgia

Tyson Campbell is a name that is more under the radar on this list, but word on the street is that the Jaguars like him, and that he could be coming off of the board “very early” tonight. As mentioned above, the Jaguars need cornerback depth and Campbell could provide that. Unlike Samuel, he projects more as an outside cornerback at 6-foot-1, 193 pounds, with good length.

In addition to his good length, athleticism and height, Campbell also has great speed (4.34 40-yard dash speed). Campbell needs to polish his positioning in coverage and work on his overall consistency, but has all the traits to be a successful NFL cornerback. Do not be surprised if Campbell ends up being the pick at No. 33.

Other players to consider:

Carlos Basham Jr. (defensive end/EDGE, Wake Forest), Dillon Radunz (offensive tackle, North Dakota State), Landon Dickerson (Alabama, center/guard), Jalen Mayfield (offensive tackle, Michigan), Liam Eichenberg (offensive tackle, Notre Dame), Rondale Moore (wide receiver, Purdue), Terrace Marshall Jr. (wide receiver, LSU), Jevon Holland (safety, Oregon), Tommy Tremble (tight end, Notre Dame), Richie Grant (safety, Central Florida)

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