SB Nation mock draft: Jaguars look to the trenches with the No. 5 pick

The Jacksonville Jaguars ended the 2024 season with a 4-13 record that was spurred on by a regressing offense and a defense that ranked 31st in total yards allowed. This is a franchise that needs help on both sides of the ball despite having some talented players on either side.

The Jags could go in a number of directions here. Michigan’s Mason Graham is the best defensive player left on the board. Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan is the top player left on our board and would immediately give Trevor Lawrence another elite receiver prospect to pair with budding star Brian Thomas Jr.

Despite those tantalizing players, no, the Jaguars do not pick either one of them.

With the fifth overall pick in the draft, Gus Logue of Big Cat Country selected LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell in hopes that he will protect Lawrence for the remainder of his career.

Logue: Jacksonville will use several draft picks to rebuild its trenches; in this writer’s opinion, there’s no better prospect to start that trend than Campbell. He’d add protection for Trevor Lawrence and fit the “intangibly rich” profile the Jaguars seek. It’s easy to see him becoming a top 8-10 player at his position by the end of his rookie deal, even if that position ends up being guard rather than tackle.

Analysis: I’m a bit surprised with this pick. The Jaguars had a chance to pair a player like Mason Graham with Travon Walker, Josh Allen-Hines, and Arik Armstead to create one heck of a defensive line. Instead, they go with Campbell who would likely replace Walker Little at left tackle and potentially force him to the right side, pushing out Anton Harrison. Both Little and Harrison played well enough to have a starting job in 2025 which would lead one to believe the Jaguars would look elsewhere to fill a bigger, more pressing need.

If the Jaguars went with Graham here, they could land someone like Minnesota’s Aireontae Ersery early in the second round who is much more suited to be a right tackle in the NFL instead of potentially forcing Little to a position he is less comfortable at.

Of course, Logue touches on Campbell’s potential to land at guard if a team believed he was better there. In this case, Campbell would replace left guard Ezra Cleveland. This would be the ideal move to get your best five linemen on the field. Will it happen? Only time will tell. But for now, Campbell is a left tackle until he isn’t.

The Jaguars landed our No. 6 player with the fifth pick in the draft. It may not be a dire position of need, but teams who invest in the offensive line usually see good-to-great results fairly quickly. They pass on Graham here, who many believe is the consensus pick to Jacksonville, but they choose to invest in Trevor Lawrence’s protection and hope they can handle the rest of their needs throughout the remainder of the draft.