The Jaguars have some holes the front office needs to fill, no doubt. The defensive line is especially in need of attention. But they also have the flexibility to attack some lesser-needed positions if the right guy falls to them.
Among those positions are running back, wide receiver, and tight end, three positions with comfortable starters locked in, yet still lacking in one way or another.
James Gladstone isn’t shooting for a star at these positions but, instead, a player who can fill a specific role within the offense.
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Let’s play matchmaker and find one player at each of the three positions who might best fit what the Jaguars are looking for and in need of.
Kaytron Allen (RB, Penn State)
I’m not sure how much the Jaguars are still in search of bolstering the running back room following the free agent addition of Chris Rodriguez, but if they want to attack the position within the first four rounds, Penn State’s Kaytron Allen is the guy.
Penn State’s all-time leading rusher, Allen put up 4,180 yards rushing, in addition to his 39 rushing touchdowns in State College. Allen averaged at least 5.0 yards per carry each season and even led FBS with an insane 8.2 yards per carry in the 4th quarter this past season. At 216 pounds, his bruising style seemed to wear defenses thin towards the end of games.
Similar to Rodriguez, Allen is a runner who excels at moving the sticks and picking up tough yards in critical moments. His 792 yards after contact ranked 2nd in the BIG 10, racking up a whopping 70 first downs and 15 touchdowns. He managed to score a rushing TD in 11 of Penn State’s 12 games.
He doesn’t quite offer the same versatility out of the backfield or as a blocker as the Jaguars’ LeQuint Allen, but they are areas where he noticeably improved during his senior season. His durability has to be mentioned as Allen touched the ball 839 times in college without missing time due to injury.
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Kendrick Law (WR, Kentucky)
Kentucky’s Kendrick Law is admittedly a bit unproven as a receiver. Only amassing 86 career receptions and 883 yards at Kentucky and Alabama, Law is a player who NFL teams will have troubling projecting to the next level with such scarce production.
He might just be the perfect fit in Jacksonville, however. Law has been lauded for his work as a blocker, something the Jaguars are clearly looking for after seeking Seahawks’ WR Jake Bobo.
Law also had a fair bit of special teams work (537 snaps) across his collegiate career. Law’s receiver’s coach at Alabama, JaMarcus Shephard, had this to say regarding his blocking prowess, “He’s the junkyard dog that you’re looking for and gives us the opportunity to have success in a variety of ways.
Alabama’s offensive coordinator, Nick Sheridan, added, “He’s good with the ball in his hands, but what I think is special about him is he is exceptional without the ball, which is really the making of a great football player.”
He’s also pretty savvy in the underneath area, utilizing his 24 mph speed to create after the catch. His 279 yards, 375 yards after the catch, and 4.89 yards per route run on screens are evidence of that, as all ranked inside the top-5 among FBS receivers.
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Will Kacmarek (TE, Ohio State)
The Jaguars are a bit thin at tight end following the release of Johnny Mundt, however they did elect to re-sign Quentin Morris to a short-term deal. That said, Hunter Long doesn’t offer the team much outside of a depth piece so the tight end position very well may be a position the Jaguars target earlier than some might expect.
A player I expect the Jaguars to be interested in is Ohio State’s Will Kacmarek. Kacmarek was never the star of the show for the Buckeyes, primarily playing inline (73% of snaps), but his impact was no doubt felt.
The Ohio State coaches certainly saw the value, opting to play out of multiple tight end sets at the second-highest rate in the FBS. He also displayed great hands, ending his collegiate career
with just three drops on 85 targets. He’ll never be a high-volume target, but he offers the Jaguars another exceptional blocker at the position.
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