2012 Jacksonville Jaguars Seven Round Mock Draft
1. First Round, 7th overall: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
The Jaguars desperately need a number one wide receiver, and Floyd has that capability. He is big, strong, fast, and can possibly emerge as a top target for the Jags and young quarterback Blaine Gabbert. I think it could be a great move since the team went out and spent big money on free agent Laurent Robinson, a move I was largely unimpressed with but understand given their desperate need for players at the position. Floyd has some character concerns, but he claims to be a changed man and I think he could be a good fit for the Jags in round one.
2. Second Round: Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse
Jacksonville’s leading “sacker” last year was Jeremy Mincey, whom they gave a nice sized contract renewal, but other than that, this team really lacks in the pass rush department. I know that Chandler Jones didn’t dominate at Syracuse, but he has all of the tools you look for in a pass rusher at the next level, and could be a steal in the second round. Some scouts view him as a first round pick because of his athletic ability and length, and some have compared him to Jason Pierre-Paul, though I don’t think he’s going to be that good or dominant, but perhaps he could be sort of a poor-man’s version.
3. Third Round: Josh Norman, CB, Coastal Carolina
The Jaguars love small school players, and Josh Norman would fit that description and actually be great value at this point. Norman believes that he can be a shut-down cornerback at the NFL level, and he really opened eyes this offseason with his performance at All-Star game practices and his excellent size and athletic ability. The Jaguars have some solid young corners, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get some playmakers on the back end of that defense.
4. Fourth Round: Ladarius Green, WR/TE, Louisiana Lafayette
Marcedes Lewis signed a huge extension with the team after his Pro Bowl year a couple of years ago. One player I’ve been extremely impressed with is Ladarius Green, who is a fantastic athlete and reminds me a lot of Jermichael Finley. He is still pretty raw, but his size and athletic ability is certainly there, and he could really help the development of a young quarterback. This could be a very smart move for the Jags.
5. Fifth Round: Janzen Jackson, S, McNeese State
Jacksonville is not usually a team to pick up guys with character flaws, as my colleague Jesse pointed out, but I think the value here is simply too great. Jackson isn’t a convict or anything, but he was dismissed from Tennessee for violating team rules. He is a smaller, athletic safety who hits like a ton of bricks, and he could be somewhat of a tweener type of player who also contributes as a nickel or dime defensive back.
6. Sixth Round: Cliff Harris, CB, Oregon
Again with the character flaws, Jesse wasn’t a fan of these last two picks but I think projecting this late, you maybe take some shots in the dark. The Jaguars need some more depth in the defensive backfield, and adding another young, talented kid like Cliff Harris who can also be really effective on special teams is a really good value in the sixth round. He was considered a first round pick at one point, so this is a steal potentially.
7. Seventh Round: Dale Moss, WR, South Dakota State
Again going with the small-school theme, the Jaguars love taking these kinds of players and I think Moss’ workout this offseason has warranted a pick late in the 2012 draft. He ran between a 4.38-4.45 at his pro day, and would have set a Combine record with his 3-cone time. He’s also an interesting prospect because he played basketball for a majority of his SDSU career before switching to football for his senior season, where he was great but definitely raw. This is a sleeper selection and a guy who, if given time to develop, could be a really nice pickup for Jacksonville’s pass game.