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Trent Baalke

Bills Believed Cowboys Were Eyeing Dalton Kincaid; Jags Feared Losing Anton Harrison

May 11th, 2023 at 10:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bills made a concerted effort to leapfrog the Cowboys for tight end Dalton Kincaid. Shortly after the Steelers made a move up due to a belief the Jets would draft tackle Broderick Jones, the Bills discussed trade-ups with multiple teams with Kincaid in mind.

Although the Cowboys are not certain to have been targeting Kincaid, Albert Breer of SI.com notes GM Brandon Beane viewed it as likely. After attempting to trade into the Giants’ No. 25 overall spot, the Bills contacted the Jaguars, who traded back with New York and into that position. The Jags gave the Bills the draft real estate, but they wanted some assurances before doing so.

Once Beane called Jaguars GM Trent Baalke, the AFC South exec asked who the Bills were targeting. With Beane not confirming Kincaid was the endpoint in a layered process, Breer adds Baalke asked his Bills counterpart if this trade was for an offensive or defensive player and if it was for a big or small player. As Kincaid is a tight end by trade, Beane replied, “Medium,” before admitting Kincaid would be Buffalo’s pick.

Had the Jaguars balked at the trade, which sent them Nos. 27 and 130, Breer adds the Bills had trade parameters worked out with three teams. The move, should the Jags declined the Bills’ trade offer and the Cowboys taken Kincaid at 26, would have been to slide out of the first round. The Titans were one of the teams that worked out a trade with the Bills, who would have dropped down to No. 41 in that scenario. That trade-up for Tennessee — presumably for Will Levis, whose contract would have carried a fifth-year option if chosen at No. 27 — would have been costlier than the one it eventually made for the Kentucky prospect. The Titans gave the Cardinals Nos. 41 and 72 this year and a 2024 third to climb to 33 for Levis a day later.

After two trade-down moves, the Jaguars chose Anton Harrison at 27. Jacksonville was prepared to take Harrison at 24 and took a chance Dallas would pass on him at 26, and ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds the Jags see Jawaan Taylor-like traits in Harrison. This points to Harrison, once Cam Robinson returns from his PED suspension, lining up at right tackle. Taylor, the Jags’ four-year right-side starter, defected to the Chiefs in free agency. Harrison, whom the Raiders liked in the event they accepted a Cardinals trade-down offer, played almost exclusively at left tackle during his Oklahoma tenure. He started 23 games on the left side and just one at RT.

The Jags, however, still do not know how long Robinson’s suspension will last. They still have Walker Little, a 2021 second-round pick who replaced Robinson following his late-season meniscus tear, in place as insurance. Dallas ended up taking Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith and was considering Syracuse offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron. The team chose a tight end, Michigan’s Luke Schoonmaker, with its second-round pick.

Buffalo will pair Kincaid with Dawson Knox, who signed a long-term extension just before last season. Kincaid, who rated as Scouts Inc.’s top 2023 tight end after he caught 70 passes for 890 yards and eight touchdowns last season, is expected to spent frequent time in the slot. The Bills saw Jamison Crowder suffer a fractured ankle last season and released Isaiah McKenzie after he struggled with drops. Cole Beasley, lured out of retirement during the season, is no longer under contract.

“If Dalton was not there, we would have traded back,” Beane said, via ESPN.com’s Alaina Getzenberg. “… We just really liked him and just felt he would be a great fit in our offense. He is a tight end, but he is a receiving tight end. We think he’ll pair well with Dawson and give us another target in the middle of the field. So, yeah, when him and Dawson are in the game, you’re in ’12’ [personnel], but it’s quasi like ’11’ anyway. He’s not your standard ‘Y’ tight end. He’s going to be flexed out a lot more than necessarily you would do with Dawson.”

Post-Draft Notes: Seahawks, Washington, Jaguars

April 30th, 2023 at 9:40pm CST by Ely Allen

The Seahawks were able to obtain both the top cornerback and top wide receiver on their board last Thursday when they drafted Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon at No. 5 overall and Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba at No. 20 overall. There had been rumors that Seattle had their eyes on Jalen Carter at No. 5, but with some troubling pre-draft issues, Carter wasn’t likely worth a top-five pick anymore.

A few teams had ideas of trading into Seattle’s pick and there’s a chance the Seahawks would’ve listened. General manager John Schneider, though, clarified that there were two players who would’ve prevented the Seahawks from trading down, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. Witherspoon happened to be one of them.

It’s unclear who the other player might have been or if they were even still available, but the Seahawks didn’t trade out of their top draft spot, so it’s clear that they were able to get their guy in Witherspoon.

Here are a few other rumors following the 2023 NFL Draft:

  • New Steelers tight end Darnell Washington experienced a bit of a slide in the draft this weekend. The former-Georgia Bulldog had a first- to second-round grade going into the Thursday with many expecting him to be the fourth or fifth tight end off the board. Especially after a run of tight ends started in the second round, it was surprising not to hear Washington’s name called. According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, injuries were the reason for the slide. Washington’s knee was a concern, but reportedly, there were other things on his medical that contributed to teams’ hesitancy, as well. The scout giving this information also called the slide “laughable,” asserting that he expects Washington to play for a long time in the NFL.
  • The Jaguars had a number of Day 3 picks that they used on Saturday. 10 to be exact. It sounds like they tried to sell some of them off and failed. According to ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, Jacksonville’s general manager, Trent Baalke, attempted to trade up in the draft’s later round and got denied. Multiple times. “We went through 15 or 16 teams when we were trying to trade up,” Baalke told the media. “Every team behind us and not one would make a move.”

Jags GM Trent Baalke’s Status Uncertain?

December 16th, 2022 at 1:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jaguars have made a few changes to their front office hierarchy in recent years. They currently have Trent Baalke installed as their front office leader; the former 49ers GM is in his third year with the Jaguars but first as the team’s top decision-making presence.

Urban Meyer headed Jacksonville’s operation during his 11-month stay in charge, arriving after the Jaguars named Baalke interim GM. The Jags promoted Baalke to full-time GM after hiring Meyer, but the latter became the franchise’s top personnel voice. A year after Meyer’s dismissal, the Jags may not be committed to Baalke — at least not in the GM role. Rumors have emerged regarding Jags front office changes, Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post notes, with Baalke’s status the key question mark here.

Baalke could be reassigned within the Jags’ front office, with La Canfora adding his future as the team’s GM is “very much in the balance.” This could well lead to Doug Pederson assuming more power within the organization. Baalke played a central role in the Jags hiring Pederson this year, but rumors regarding the franchise hiring another exec to outrank the current GM emerged early this offseason.

Baalke’s status as GM was believed to be turning off select coaches during what became a long-running Jags HC search, and the team interviewed longtime Vikings GM Rick Spielman for a non-GM position — but one that would have reported directly to Shad Khan. The owner was believed to be eyeing both an executive VP-type addition and a front office lieutenant that reported to Baalke. Khan ended up not hiring the former but adding an assistant GM (former 49ers exec Ethan Waugh). The team may be prepared to revisit the prospect of a new voice leading the front office.

Jacksonville’s decision-making reins have seen extensive changes since the team hired Tom Coughlin to head up the front office, effectively demoting then-GM Dave Caldwell, in 2017. The Jags then fired Coughlin in 2019, moving Caldwell back up the chain. Meyer’s hire, coming after the ousters of Caldwell and Doug Marrone, gave the successful college coach the lead role. The team hired Baalke in 2020 and promoted him to GM in January 2021, and after Meyer’s disastrous tenure, Baalke was left standing. This is Baalke’s seventh year in a GM role. He was in this position with the 49ers from 2011-16, a tenure that included three straight NFC championship game appearances but also a power struggle with Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers making back-to-back coaches (Jim Tomsula, Chip Kelly) one-and-dones.

This marked a key year for the Jags’ GM role. The team held the No. 1 overall pick for the second straight year, following a slam-dunk Trevor Lawrence pick with a process that ended with high-upside talent Travon Walker being chosen over high-production pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson. Baalke and Khan were believed to be split on these two players ahead of the draft; Khan was believed to prefer Hutchinson. The Jags were also very active in free agency, filling several holes in their starting lineup.

The Jags have made a slight resurgence in recent weeks, beating the Ravens and Titans, and despite being 5-8, they are within striking distance in a weak AFC South. With Lawrence having a much better season compared to a rough rookie year, the Jags have the look of a rising team. It will be interesting if they follow through with the plan to make a major front office change in 2023.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs

June 30th, 2022 at 10:48am CST by Sam Robinson

Wednesday, we took a look at how the 2022 offseason changed the HC landscape. While 10 new sideline leaders are in place for 2022, not quite as much turnover transpired on the general manager front. Five new decision-makers, however, have moved to the top of teams’ front office hierarchies over the past six months.

The Bears, Giants, Raiders and Vikings rebooted their entire operations, hiring new HC-GM combos. The Minnesota move bumped out one of the previous top-10 longest-tenured GMs, with 16-year Vikings exec Rick Spielman no longer in power in the Twin Cities. The Steelers’ shakeup took the NFL’s longest-tenured pure GM out of the mix. Kevin Colbert was with the Steelers since 2000, and although he is still expected to remain with the team in a reduced capacity, the 22-year decision-maker stepped down shortly after Ben Roethlisberger wrapped his career.

Twelve teams have now hired a new GM in the past two offseasons, though a bit more staying power exists here compared to the HC ranks. Two GMs (the Cardinals’ Steve Keim and Chargers’ Tom Telesco) have begun their 10th years at the helms of their respective front offices. They have hired three HCs apiece. The Buccaneers’ Jason Licht is closing in on a decade in power in Tampa Bay; Licht will now work with his fourth HC in Todd Bowles. Beyond that, a bit of a gap exists. But a handful of other executives have been in power for at least five seasons.

Here is how long every GM or de facto GM has been in place with his respective franchise:

  1. Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
  2. Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
  3. Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000[3]
  4. Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
  5. John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
  6. Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010; signed extension in 2022
  7. Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2019
  8. Steve Keim (Arizona Cardinals): January 8, 2013; signed extension in 2022
  9. Tom Telesco (Los Angeles Chargers): January 9, 2013; signed extension in 2018
  10. Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2021
  11. Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016[4]
  12. Jon Robinson (Tennessee Titans): January 14, 2016; signed extension in 2022
  13. John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2020
  14. Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
  15. Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2020
  16. Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2020
  17. Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018
  18. Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
  19. Joe Douglas (New York Jets): June 7, 2019
  20. Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020
  21. Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
  22. George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
  23. Scott Fitterer (Carolina Panthers): January 14, 2021
  24. Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021
  25. Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
  26. Trent Baalke (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 21, 2021
  27. Martin Mayhew (Washington Commanders): January 22, 2021
  28. Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
  29. Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
  30. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022
  31. Dave Ziegler (Las Vegas Raiders): January 30, 2022
  32. Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022

Footnotes:

  1. Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
  2. Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
  3. Belichick has been the Patriots’ de facto GM since shortly after being hired as the team’s head coach in January 2000.
  4. Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018

NFL Staff Notes: Bears, Jaguars, 49ers, Raiders

May 21st, 2022 at 9:48pm CST by Ely Allen

New Bears general manager Ryan Poles announced several promotions and additions to the team’s scouting and football administration departments this week.

Breck Ackley has been promoted from area scout to assistant director of college scouting. Former pro scout Chris White is now assistant director of pro scouting. Former national scouts Sam Summerville and Francis Saint Paul have added “senior” to the their titles. Ashton Washington made a large leap going from a scouting assistant to player personnel coordinator. Fellow former scouting assistant Charles Love has been made a pro scout. In terms of area scouts, John Syty will now cover the Southwest area, Brendan Rehor will cover the Southeast area, Tom Bradway comes from the Raiders to cover the Northeast area, and former long-time Texans scout Ryan Cavanaugh comes from Ohio State to cover the Midwest area. Finally, Ryan Weese joins the staff from Montana State as a scouting assistant.

Mike Santarelli has been promoted from director of football systems to executive director of football technology. Former salary cap/pro scouting analyst James Cosh has been promoted to manager of football administration/pro scout.

Here are a few other staff hires from around the NFL:

  • According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, former 49ers vice president Ethan Waugh has been hired by Jacksonville in the role of assistant general manager, rejoining Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke, whom he worked with from 2005-16. With Waugh out of the picture, San Francisco’s player personnel hierarchy is much clearer with assistant general manager Adam Peters and director of player personnel Ran Carthon directly under general manager John Lynch.
  • The Raiders have made an addition to their football analytics department, according to ESPN’s Seth Walder, hiring Brad Goldsberry away from Chicago to serve as director of football systems.

Jaguars’ Shad Khan, Trent Baalke Disagree On No. 1 Pick?

April 25th, 2022 at 7:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Four prospects are believed to be in play for the Jaguars at No. 1 overall, but it might be a matchup between two defensive ends by the time the top decision-makers huddle up for their final decision this week.

Shad Khan will observe the Trent Baalke– and Doug Pederson-led operation’s deliberations this week, Albert Breer of SI.com notes, and the longtime Jaguars owner said he has an opinion on which way the team should go at No. 1. Khan’s opinion appears to be that Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson is the way to go, per Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com, who adds Baalke is backing Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker.

Despite his college production dwarfing Walker’s, Hutchinson now trails the size-speed freak in pre-draft odds to be the top pick. The Walker-Jaguars connection has persisted for several weeks now. Khan has held roster control in the past, and it would not surprise if the 10th-year Jags owner pulled the trigger on his preferred player. Khan would obviously prefer the room forms a consensus and intimated to Breer that Pederson and Baalke have control over the football operation.

“Yeah, I have an opinion,” Khan said, via Breer, of the No. 1 pick. “I do have an opinion. We are supposed to get together on Wednesday, and so I don’t have as firm a decision as I did maybe last year, but I do have it. I think we’ll have to really firm up the draft board, so we have clarity on all the permutations and combinations we’re gonna hit.”

During Pederson’s tenure, the Eagles devoted significant resources to bolstering their offensive line. The new Jags HC may not be opposed to such a strategy this year, despite this draft’s bevy of high-end D-line prospects. The Jags were connected to Ikem Ekwonu early in the pre-draft process, before franchise-tagging Cam Robinson for a second time, and Breer hears Baalke is a fan of the North Carolina State O-lineman. Ekwonu remains in play for the Jags at 1, ESPN.com’s Matt Miller tweets.

The team is rumored to be close on a Robinson extension, and Jawaan Taylor has started at right tackle in Jacksonville for the past three years. Pro Football Focus, which graded Jacksonville’s O-line 24th overall last season, viewed Taylor as the team’s weakest link up front in 2021. Of course, no Jaguar blocker graded particularly well here. Jacksonville added Brandon Scherff but could upgrade at its other guard spot. Ekwonu played tackle and guard in college; some view guard as his better NFL position.

No Teams Calling About No. 1 Pick

April 23rd, 2022 at 6:03pm CST by Ely Allen

For the first time since maybe 2013, there is no consensus on who will be the number one overall pick in the NFL Draft. There is such a lack of certainty on who the best available player of the 2022 NFL Draft is that Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke told the media that not one NFL team has “called directly to trade for the No.1 overall pick,” according to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network.

2021 was “Tank for Trevor.” 2020 saw Joe Burrow set the football world on fire. There were certainly doubts, but Kyler Murray was expected to join Kliff Kingsbury in Arizona almost two months before the Draft. In 2018, everyone knew the Browns needed a quarterback and it became clearer and clearer as the Draft approached that Baker Mayfield was their man. Myles Garrett was far and away the best available according to analysts in 2017. 2016 saw the Rams and Eagles trade into the 1 & 2 spots to draft Jared Goff and Carson Wentz. The Buccaneers famously tanked in 2015 for Jameis Winston, with Marcus Mariota as the clear No. 2. Finally, Jadeveon Clowney was an easy selection for the Texans in 2014.

2013, though, had most analysts thinking the Chiefs, who desperately needed offensive tackle help, would take Texas A&M star Luke Joeckel. Instead the Chiefs went with the tackle out of Central Michigan, making Eric Fisher the first MAC player ever to be drafted No. 1 overall. Nine years ago, analysts held very little certainty of even what position the Chiefs would select, with most thinking one of the two offensive tackles, some thinking defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, some thinking linebacker Alec Ogletree, and some even entertaining the possibility that Kansas City might bring in West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith to compete with the newly acquired Alex Smith.

This is the first offseason since then that we’ve seen true cluelessness across the board less than a week out from the Draft. This Draft lacks something that all of those previous Drafts had: a clear player of need that at least one team in the NFL is willing to go all out to get. Many names have been mentioned at number one overall from Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux in the preseason to Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson post-Ohio-State-game to Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker post-Combine. The Draft’s two best offensive linemen, Alabama’s Evan Neal and NC State’s Ikem Ekwonu, both have heard rumors around their names at some point in the pre-Draft process. Baalke, himself, told the media that they were considering four players, leading to speculation that Hutchinson, Walker, Neal, and Ekwonu are the four in question.

That’s what makes this Draft so interesting. Charles Davis of NFL Network called this year’s Draft “even more unpredictable than usual.” Not only is there no team willing to pound the table and jump up to select a player they can’t live without, but even the team that is stuck at number one needs a four-sided coin to flip. The first round of the 2022 NFL Draft airs at 8 p.m. ET this upcoming Thursday, April 28th.

Draft Rumors: Stingley, Jaguars, Alabama, Cine, Burks

April 22nd, 2022 at 10:15pm CST by Ely Allen

According to Matt Miller of ESPN, Derek Stingley, Jr. is the hottest name in the 2022 NFL Draft right now. The LSU cornerback has long been considered one of the top-two cornerback prospects available, along with Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad Gardner. Miller claims that Stingley is trending as high as the top-three with the Lions or Texans rumored to be interested in him at No. 2 or 3 overall.

After a stellar freshman season, Stingley was easily viewed as the best cornerback that would be available by the 2022 Draft. But, after a subpar 2020 season and only appearing in three games last year, combined with another stellar season from Gardner, NFL teams have allowed a bit of room for Gardner to challenge as the best corner on the board. The NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah has Gardner ranked as the third-best prospect overall with Stingley at 15th, while Dane Brugler of The Athletic has Gardner at fifth overall with Stingley at 14th. Miller, though, seems to think Stingley won’t make it past the Seahawks at 9th overall on Thursday night.

Here are a few more notes for the upcoming Draft, starting with some speculation down in Duval:

  • Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke let it be known on Friday that Jacksonville is considering four players for their number one overall draft pick this Thursday, according to Charean Williams of NBC Sports. Many mock drafts have them going with Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson or Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker, but they’ve also had their name attached to Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal and NC State offensive lineman Ikem Ekwonu. It’s hard to imagine any other names entering the conversation for Jacksonville’s top pick.
  • On their postseason run last year, college football powerhouse Alabama lost two of their top pass catchers in two of the biggest games of their season. John Metchie tore his ACL in the team’s SEC Championship victory over Georgia on December 4th. A little over a month later, Jameson Williams tore his ACL in the team’s National Championship game loss to Georgia on January 10th. According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, the two are progressing impressively in their recoveries, with that opinion being echoed by the NFL teams who have looked into their medical information. They may both be on track to play in the upcoming season, depending on how conservative of a team they end up with. The important thing, though, is that, while their stock may have been affected a bit by injury, they are both fully expected to hear their names called next week.
  • Georgie safety Lewis Cine visited with the Buccaneers this week, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN. Cine led the Bulldogs in tackles and passes broken up for the season last year en route to being named the defensive MVP of the team’s National Championship victory over Alabama. According to Laine, when asked if signing Logan Ryan and Keanu Neal precluded them from drafting a safety, Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht simply replied, “No.”
  • According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks added two more teams to his list of visits earlier this week. Burks met with the Bears and Cardinals as he continues to trend in the first round. Read more about Burks in his NFL Draft Prospect Profile here.

Jaguars Hoping To Trade No. 1 Pick?

April 21st, 2022 at 5:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Picking first overall for a second straight year, the Jaguars have been linked to a few players in a draft that does not appear to feature a surefire top talent. The perception around the league points the Jags to a trade, but no needle-moving offer may materialize.

An NFL scouting director informed SI.com’s Albert Breer “everyone knows” Jaguars GM Trent Baalke would prefer to trade down. Connected to either Aidan Hutchinson or fast-rising prospect Travon Walker at No. 1, the Jags still enter this draft as a team with several needs — despite their free agency binge. A move down the board would enable the rebuilding team to add more picks to address them.

However, a sufficient offer has not yet arrived. And a report earlier this offseason indicated teams have not shown much interest in moving up to No. 1. This draft may feature the least desirable top pick since 2013, a draft that saw one quarterback taken in Round 1 and the top 10 produce several busts. This may lead to Jacksonville sticking at No. 1. Breer and ESPN.com’s Todd McShay have Hutchinson going first overall, while NFL.com’s Peter Schrager mocks Walker to the Jags.

A Georgia defensive end capable of playing inside as well, Walker has been connected to the Jags at multiple junctures this offseason. Though, Hutchinson — the second-place Heisman finisher after a dominant senior season at Michigan — is viewed as the safer choice, with Walker’s production not in the same realm as the ex-Wolverine’s. Baalke is sensitive to the Jags’ current reputation, per Breer, who adds this may influence the veteran exec to play it safer at 1.

The team has also done extensive work on this draft’s top offensive tackles, despite having franchise-tagged Cam Robinson, Breer notes. It would surprise if the Jags tagged Robinson and still chose a tackle, but they have used first-round picks on defensive linemen in four of the past seven drafts. Regardless of how Jacksonville proceeds, this draft looks set to begin with more uncertainty than the drafts of the past several years.

Jaguars Looking At OL Ekwonu With Top Pick

March 6th, 2022 at 4:13pm CST by Ely Allen

We wrote a bit in January about NC State’s Ikem Ekwonu potentially being the best offensive lineman in the draft. Well, he certainly thinks so, as he told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine Thursday that he’d “definitely deserve” to be drafted No. 1 overall, according to Darryl Slater of NJ.com. 

He’s not totally off base in his thinking. ESPN’s Mel Kiper mocked Ekwonu to Jacksonville in his latest mock draft just before the Combine. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, many at the Combine, including ESPN’s Todd McShay, expected Ekwonu to blow up in Indianapolis.

There’s already been a bit of talk connecting Ekwonu to the Jaguars. General manager Trent Baalke has a tendency to prefer explosive linemen and Ekwonu demonstrated his explosiveness in field drills including an impressive sub-5.00 second 40-yard dash. Baalke and new head coach Doug Pederson will be looking to put together a group at offensive line that can protect former No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence and create holes for running backs James Robinson and Travis Etienne.

Jawaan Taylor is expected to compete with Walker Little for the right tackle job. Captain Brandon Linder should return to form at center after MCL and ankle injuries forced him to miss a large part of the 2021 NFL season. Andrew Norwell is expected to hit the free agent market and Cam Robinson could join him if the team decides not to utilize their franchise tag on Robinson for the second straight year. Veteran sixth-man Tyler Shatley was recently re-signed and Ben Bartch could help out at guard. So the versatility of Ekwonu could line him up as the perfect choice for Jacksonville’s current situation, where lots of question marks surround the depth chart. Even so, the Jaguars could also fall in love with Evan Neal, who is largely seen as the top pure tackle in the draft.

Still, the redshirt sophomore out of Raleigh is a young, talented prospect with the ability to dominate at tackle or guard. Even if he slips past Jacksonville at No. 1 overall, don’t expect him to be available after both New York teams get a chance to draft. Ekwonu will aim to be only the third Wolfpack offensive lineman in history to be picked in the first round, the highest-drafted Wolfpack prospect since Bradley Chubb in 2018, and, above that, the first top overall pick out of NC State since Mario Williams in 2006.

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