APC Community Mock Draft - The Jaguars are on the clock at pick 25

With the 24th pick of the 2021 APC Community Mock Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers were able to replace James Conner with Najee Harris and hope to return to their high-powered running game of years past. After an uncharacteristic year where the team finished last in both rushing yards per game and yards per attempt, Art Rooney II, the team’s President, has made it abundantly clear that he wants to improve the running game. Last year’s offensive coordinator, Randy Fichtner, is out and Matt Canada is in. The Steelers hope that this move plus drafting Harris will remove the predictability that tormented last year’s offense.

The Jaguars are up now at 25 after picking Trevor Lawrence with the #1 overall pick. With their QB of the future in tow, it’s time to focus on defense. Urban Meyer has made it clear that much like his time in college, he expects his first stint in the NFL to be characterized by having an elite defensive line. The Jags focused heavily on defense in free agency, signing Shaquill Griffin to pair with C.J Henderson at CB. They also signed Roy Robertson-Harris to remake their defensive line as they switch to using principles from both 4-3 and 3-4 schemes. With that being said, they could choose to go DL again here with Christian Barmore, the talented defensive tackle from Alabama. The Jaguars also signed Rayshawn Jenkins to man their strong safety spot after he had a career year for the Chargers. While it may seem like overkill to add another safety, Trevon Moehrig would be a great value here and an immediate upgrade over Jarrod Wilson next to Jenkins. Lastly, Jacksonville could add to their talented linebacking corps by picking Zaven Collins. Not only would he help rush the passer with his strength and athleticism, but he would add another versatile LB to play strong-side next to Myles Jack and Joe Schobert. We’ll take a look at the previous 24 picks before diving into these options for the Jaguars.

1. Jacksonville Jaguars - Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
2. New York Jets - Zach Wilson, QB, BYU
3. San Francisco 49ers - Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
4. Atlanta Falcons - Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
5. Cincinnati Bengals - Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
6. Miami Dolphins - Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU
7. Detroit Lions - DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
8. Carolina Panthers - Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern
9. Denver Broncos - Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
10. Dallas Cowboys - Patrick Surtain, CB, Alabama
11. New York Giants - Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
12. Philadelphia Eagles - Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
13. Los Angeles Chargers - Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech
14. Minnesota Vikings - Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, USC
15. New England Patriots - Mac Jones, QB, Alabama
16. Arizona Cardinals - Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
17. Las Vegas Raiders - Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State
18. Miami Dolphins - Kwity Paye, EDGE, Michigan
19. Washington Football Team - Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame
20. Chicago Bears - Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
21. Indianapolis Colts - Jaelan Phillips, EDGE, Miami
22. Tennessee Titans - Greg Newsome II, CB, Northwestern
23. New York Jets - Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State
24. Pittsburgh Steelers - Najee Harris, RB, Alabama

The Jaguars hope to add more defensive talent at 25.

Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama

Alabama simply never has a shortage of NFL defensive linemen prospects. Year after year, a new name explodes onto the scene. Barmore is the latest standout. After redshirting his freshman year and facing limited playing time in 2019, he broke into the starting lineup in 2020. After a knee injury slowed him down early, Barmore finished strong and dominated the College Football Playoff. He finished the year with 9.5 tackles for loss, 8 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles as a third-team All-American and a first-team All-SEC defender. Barmore is a boom or bust prospect with an explosive first step and the tools to be a three-down player if he adds moves to his pass rush repertoire.

Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU

The consensus top safety in a draft class weak at that position, Moehrig is a standout player in coverage who projects best as a deep cover man at free safety than as a run supporter. A great special teams contributor early in his college career, he was a two-year starter for the Horned Frogs and proved to have a nose for the football. In 2019 and 2020 combined, he picked off six passes, recorded 20 total pass breakups, and forced a pair of fumbles. With turnovers at a premium in today’s NFL, a safety with his knack for game-changing plays should be in high demand.

Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa

As a junior in 2020, Collins burst onto the scene and into the minds of scouts and draftniks alike. In 8 games, Collins racked up two forced fumbles, four sacks, and four interceptions (two of which he returned for touchdowns). At 6-foot-5 and almost 260 pounds, he’s big enough to play on the edge but fast and explosive enough to play off the ball, with a similar skill set to Anthony Barr in Minnesota.

With the 25th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars select...

We know Urban Meyer values athleticism on defense and it should be no different in the NFL. While Moehrig doesn’t possess elite athleticism, Barmore and Collins should fit the mold and could be important pieces for the Jags this year. At 4 PM EST today, we’ll be checking out the Browns’ options at 26. Be sure to vote here and on Twitter @acmepackingco.