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The Jacksonville Jaguars will almost certainly make further changes in the offseason of 2023. Keep in mind that they still have several openings on their depth chart to fill. They can, of course, do so through the draft. Nonetheless, the Jaguars have a few rookie prospects that may be labeled as “traps.” Here we'll look at the rookie prospects that the Jacksonville Jaguars must avoid in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Jaguars have been relatively quiet during free agency. That is not surprising given their record-setting spending during the previous offseason. However, with nine picks in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft, the AFC South favorites have the potential to improve their roster significantly. This abundance of draft capital gives them an opportunity to build depth across their team.
Out of the nine selections the Jaguars have, five are their original picks. Meanwhile, four others were acquired through trades. Recall also that they gave away their fifth- and seventh-round picks when they acquired Calvin Ridley and Cole Van Lanen, respectively.
Furthermore, the Jaguars also traded their fifth- and seventh-round picks from the 2022 NFL Draft to acquire the Buccaneers' fourth-round pick for 2023. The move proved beneficial. It gave them a higher pick than their original ones and allowed them to select CB Zyon McCollum and TE Ko Kieft. In addition, they secured two sixth-round picks, one from the Houston Texans and the other from the Philadelphia Eagles. With so many opportunities to get better, though, the Jaguars also have to be careful. They also have just as many opportunities to falter.
Let’s look at the players that the Jaguars must avoid in the 2023 NFL Draft.
1. Clark Phillips III
Clark Phillips III established himself as one of the premier defensive players in college football for Utah. For sure, he is an intriguing NFL prospect. In fact, Phillips III started all 31 games of his career. He recorded nine interceptions, four of which were returned for touchdowns. Phillips III also earned the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award in 2022.
He is an explosive cornerback with quick and fluid movements who can match routes and disrupt catches effectively. Despite his smaller stature, he displays an admirable competitive spirit and willingness to tackle opponents. These make him a versatile player who can operate on the outside or in the slot. However, his height, weight, and length are not ideal. The reality is he can also struggle to disengage from blocks and tackle larger opponents effectively. That can be a challenging prospect against NFL-level opponents.
In conclusion, although Phillips III has agility and a competitive drive, he also has some limitations. We certainly don't think he's worth a first-round pick.
Clark Phillips III vs Jordan Addison🍿
— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 3, 2022
2. Garrett Williams
Garrett Williams made a significant impact as a defender for Syracuse. He also earned Freshman All-American honors in 2020 and an All-ACC selection in 2021. Unfortunately, his 2022 season was cut short after only seven games due to an ACL injury.
Keep in mind that Williams is a physical and aggressive player. However, at times, this can also lead to a loss of control, causing him to miss the ball carrier. Although he is disruptive at the catch point, he needs to improve his ability to create turnovers. Williams is best when driving forward on the ball. His ability to locate the ball down the field, though, can be inconsistent. There have also been times when he displayed poor eye discipline when covering vertical routes. This has allowed opposing receivers to gain the upper hand. He also lacks elite long speed. That can make it challenging to keep up with faster receivers down the field.
The reality is that he needs to work on his ball skills, consistency, and eye discipline to become a more effective player. He cannot get by on physicality and athleticism alone. And the Jaguars surely should not spend their first-rounder on him if that's the case.
1. Derick Hall
Hall is an explosive pass rusher who has a sturdy build and long limbs. He is not only a pass-rush specialist, though. Hall is also a strong run defender. His strength and leverage, combined with his reach and power, enable him to withstand the point of attack. His heavy and powerful hands also make it difficult for tight ends to block him. Hall's ability to convert speed to power is his main asset as a pass rusher. He can use his explosive burst to fake an outside track before driving blockers into the backfield. He can also dip under offensive tackles' hands to quickly impact the quarterback.
However, Hall has some areas to greatly improve. Despite his explosiveness, Hall lacks hand-to-hand skills against opposing offensive linemen. The problem is he drops into coverage too often. This showcased his athletic ability but hindered his development on the edge. Hall is also not a bendy or flexible rusher, so he cannot turn the corner like other elite pass rushers. His rush package relies mainly on speed and power, which kinda makes him one-sided. We don't recommend spending a Day 1 pick on him.
