Honestly, the Emmanuel Pregnon pick kept this grade from dipping even lower. … Nate Boerkircher was No. 127 on my final Big Board but went in Round 2. Last season was the first time he had more than six catches in a season, and he still had just 19. He’s an in-line blocker who can help spring some runs. But I would have rather seen an actual running back here … or a linebacker … or a defensive tackle. The Jaguars did get that defensive tackle with the next pick, but Albert Regis was the DT15 on my board. And with the last pick of Day 2, Jacksonville went way off the board for Jalen Huskey. I have concerns about this tackling ability, but he will bring ball skills. The versatile defensive back had 11 interceptions over the past three seasons; I had him graded as a safety.
Pregnon was a fantastic pick. He started for three different schools and saw time at both guard positions, and he’s a really good run blocker. At 6-foot-4 and 314 pounds, he can control defenders and move them out of the way, and then he gets to the second level to spring big plays. I had him as a borderline first-rounder — at worst, second-rounder — so I’d characterize this as a pretty massive steal late in Round 3.
I had linebacker as the team’s most pressing need after Devin Lloyd signed with the Panthers, but Parker Hughes was the only add there, down at No. 240. Coach Liam Coen could have used another running back beyond Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr., too. It stings to lose Travis Etienne Jr. in free agency. Yet, there weren’t any moves there.