What Would Constitute a Surprise Pick for the Jaguars?

The Jacksonville Jaguars have certainly pulled off their fair share of surprises in the NFL Draft before, but what would a surprise actually look like for the Jaguars in next week's draft? Pro Football Focus recently put out a list of potential surprising first-round picks for each team, and they came up with a curious selection for the Jaguars: LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell. Campbell certainly isn't the favorite to be the No. 5 pick -- that would be Michigan Wolverines defensive tackle Mason Graham.

But in terms of which prospects feel most likely for the Jaguars outside of Graham, it certainly feels like Campbell would be one of the more logical options. With that said, he is the one PFF ultimately landed on. "Jacksonville’s offensive line has been a weak link over the past two seasons, and with Trevor Lawrence battling injuries, reinforcing the trenches remains a priority.



If Will Campbell is available and viewed as an upgrade over Walker Little, Ezra Cleveland or Anton Harrison, the Jaguars could justify making a move. Their line ranked just 23rd in PFF grade last season — far from ideal for a franchise quarterback," PFF said. Campbell is one of the best players in the draft and will undoubtedly be off the board around the range the Jaguars pick, so it feels hard to call him a surprising option unless the perception is the Jaguars are locked in on Graham.

And while that may be the perception, it should not be treated as truth. There have been no true formal connections between the Jaguars and Graham. He seems like the likely pick, but nothing should be set in stone.

So, what would actually constitute as a surprise for the Jaguars with the fifth pick? Boise State's Ashton Jeanty might qualify, but also is a bit too close to possible. Instead, I would go with Tyler Warren, Kelvin Banks, and Jihaad Campbell as the "surprise" options. If any of those three players were drafted by Jacksonville with the fifth pick, that would qualify as pure surprise and shock.

Otherwise, though, it seems like the Jaguars simply do not have a selection wrapped in mystery and intrigue this season. Go ahead and make sure you follow along with us on X (Twitter) @JaguarsOnSI and @_John_Shipley Please go and tell us your thoughts when you go and like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE..