There is conviction, and then there is this. The Jaguars took PJ Williams a full 246 picks ahead of where the board had him, an overdraft steep enough that it colors the whole weekend.
The Mesidor steal is the beam this whole class leans on. With interior defensive lineman, quarterback and other spots unsolved, spending premium capital on edge rusher is the choice that costs them.
They will regret leaving interior defensive lineman for another day if the season turns on it.
If PJ Williams and a couple of the gambles land, hindsight will be kinder than this grade.
Pick-by-Pick
R2.24
· Pick 56
· PJ Williams
· OT
· rank 302
PJ Williams at Round 2, Pick 24 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
R3.17
· Pick 81
· Hykeem Williams
· WR
· rank 289
They talked themselves into Hykeem Williams at pick 81, and the board did not agree. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
R3.24
· Pick 88
· Mikail Kamara
· DE-EDGE
· rank 154
They reached into another round for Mikail Kamara, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A minor need, but a need all the same.
R3.36
· Pick 100
· R Mason Thomas
· DE-EDGE
· rank 34
A surprising call. With interior defensive lineman, quarterback and other spots still to address, they spent the 100th pick on R Mason Thomas, an edge rusher they were not short of.
R4.24
· Pick 124
· Ahmaad Moses
· S
· rank 295
Ahmaad Moses at the 124th overall pick is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
R5.24
· Pick 164
· Beau Stephens
· OG
· rank 160
A reasonable price with a little left over, Beau Stephens in slot 164. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
R5.26
· Pick 166
· Chandler Rivers
· CB
· rank 101
Somehow Chandler Rivers was still sitting there in No. 166, and they pounced on premier cornerback value. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
R6.22
· Pick 203
· Red Murdock
· LB
· rank 197
Fair-plus on Red Murdock, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. It fills a real need, too.
R7.17
· Pick 233
· Josh Cuevas
· TE
· rank 254
They left a pile of value on the table to take Josh Cuevas this early at slot 233. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
R7.24
· Pick 240
· Akheem Mesidor
· DE-EDGE
· rank 37
They will replay Akheem Mesidor at the Round 7 slot for years; that is how good the value is. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
R7.29
· Pick 245
· Keyron Crawford
· DE-EDGE
· rank 89
Circle this one: Keyron Crawford at pick 245 is a fall that decides a draft. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.