For Jaguars, Jets And Others, It's Time To Focus On NFL Draft And Dad Jokes
Everyone is talking about the looming NFL playoffs, but the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets have other things on their mind.
That's right ... both teams are wondering who the next coach of the Jaguars might be.
Actually, that's a (dad) joke. Truth is, after stinking it up for most of 2021, both the Jaguars and Jets are again focused solely on the NFL Draft. (And the Jaguars only get an "almost" because they somewhat comically eliminated the Indianapolis Colts from the playoffs on the final day of the regular season.)
The Jaguars, who finished 3-14, own the No. 1 overall pick for the second straight season. Last year, they drafted promising quarterback Trevor Lawrence after hiring accomplished college football coach Urban Meyer. Only Lawrence survived the season. So it actually is no joke, the Jags still need a coach.
The Jets, who finished 4-13, are picking fourth overall. Last year, they picked second. If they continue following this plan, they will pick sixth next year. But the entire reason they're being mentioned here is because they don't just own the fourth pick. They also own the 10th.
Only the New York Giants (Nos. 5 and 7) and Philadelphia Eagles (Nos. 15 and 16) can match the Jets with more than one first-rounder.
Which leads to the following question: Will the Jaguars think about trading down? After all, the upcoming draft isn't expected to have any future super-duper star types. Since there will still be considerable talent, they might better off with more picks instead of just the first overall.
So the Jaguars may turn to the likes of the Jets or Giants to move down a few slots and grab a couple of top prospects. Jacksonville needs help, and lots of it. So two guys will be better than one.
Anyway, it's all speculation until the very moment the draft takes place in April, and that is the way the NFL wants it. So yes, the high drama of the playoffs is about to arrive.
But for teams such as the Jaguars, Jets and several others, the days of dreaming about being something more than a bad dad joke are also underway.
Below is the order of the 18 first-round picks that have already been determined: