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Weekly observations: Let's talk about the NFL Draft

Hank's weekly observations and musings on the Jaguars, the NFL Draft, and those 2017 mock drafts.

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Here are some post-draft thoughts on the NFL, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and why you should place all of your 2017 mock drafts into the nearest sewage drain.

1. Final draft week thoughts

As the draft has wrapped up and we've had a week to digest all of the picks and new information that has come out, here are some takes on how the draft played out

  • I don't understand the praise of the Tennessee Titans draft. Conklin and Dodd were both reaches who will be playing out of position (right tackle and outside linebacker) Austin Johnson is a good player but is very similar to other defensive tackles on their roster, and taking a running back in the second round when you just traded for a back is... weird.
  • The New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears had some of the best opening three rounds of the draft. Adding Sheldon Rankins and Von Bell to a porous Saints defense can go a long way and I thought Michael Thomas was a first round talent. As for the Bears, I was really high on Leonard Floyd and Cody Whitehair and Jonathan Bullard fell further then they should have.
  • Vernon Adams going undrafted was the least surprising thing of the whole draft. Cody Kessler being anything more than a sixth-round pick was the most surprising.

2. Nothing says more about how the Jaguars view their offensive line situation then the Brandon Allen pick

Sixth-round quarterback Brandon Allen has the longest shot of all the rookies to make the team. Gus and Caldwell simply don't carry three quarterbacks, and Blake Bortles and Chad Henne are obviously not going anywhere anytime soon. Allen was basically a throw away pick. But that's a sixth-round pick and you just picked four potential instant impacts on defense so that's okay.

But the Allen pick does say a lot about how the Jaguars brass views the offensive line. They took a third-string quarterback who might not make the team over any lineman left in the draft. I think it's obvious that they are okay with the group they have in place.

3. Not worried about the defense meshing together

A lot has been made about worries about the defense potentially taking too long to mesh together in a must win year. I wouldn't be as concerned with that.

It took the Jaguars offense 1 1/2 seasons to really mesh together and get cooking. But offenses and defenses are not cut from the same cloth in this department. Offenses depend on timing and chemistry. Defenses are a lot more individual roles that work off of each other but don't depend on things such as timing or chemistry. Basically, it's a lot easier for a defense to come together then it is an offense. I expect growing pains, but not like the growing pains we saw on offense.

4. Please put away your 2017 mock drafts

Please. Have some mercy. Some humanity.

5. Weekly follow suggestion

Telvin Smith (@TelvinSmith_22). The greatest Jaguars tweeter since Austen Lane. Respeck.