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The 2017 NFL Draft is mere weeks away and we are in full blown mock szn, folks. And on that note, the latest predictions are in and Dan Kadar of Mocking The Draft believes he knows the first two picks for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
From his most recent mock draft on Monday morning, Kadar believes the Jaguars upgrade their defensive line and passing attack in the first and second rounds, selecting defensive lineman Jonathan Allen out of Alabama and tight end Evan Engram out of Ole Miss, respectively.
Round 1, Pick 4: Jonathan Allen, DL, Alabama
You’re getting a gifted defensive lineman with Allen at No. 4 overall — and with Solomon Thomas going the selection before, it’s absolutely the right move. If the Jaguars are to take that next step in becoming a great defense, they need to add elite talent to their pass rush attack. They can do that by drafting Jonathan Allen, a player with phenomenal mechanics and hand-usage who is as disruptive as he is strong.
Round 2, Pick 35: Evan Engram, TE, Ole Miss
Engram is a guy who could go at the bottom of the first round and no one would blink, so to grab him at the top of the second is fine with me. His low 40-yard dash time is 4.37 and his average is 4.42 so he’s going to help Blake Bortles in the passing game. He’s overshadowed by Alabama’s O.J. Howard and Miami’s David Njoku, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t worth a top-32 consideration. Getting Engram — a hybrid receiver/tight end — on this offense also allows Dave Caldwell and Tom Coughlin to say they did all they could to help Bortles and gives them as true an analysis as they can get on whether to pick up his option next offseason or not. And if you don’t? Well, you have a gifted, quick, young tight end to build around the next guy.
Check out Kadar’s full two-round mock draft here.