Jaguars Draft ’21: Is a pass rusher an option at 25?

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Urban Meyer says the Jaguars are heading toward selecting Trevor Lawrence with the top pick.

If the intrigue for the Jaguars’ first pick isn’t that great, what about for their second first-round pick? This week on News4Jax.com, we take a closer look at positions they might target and a player or three that should be on the Jaguars’ radar.

We begin with pass rushers. The Jaguars figure to be utilizing more of a 3-4 look this season under new defensive coordinator Joe Cullen. That would move Josh Allen to outside linebacker opposite of K’Lavon Chaisson. While Chiasson played outside linebacker in college at LSU, he’s still an unproven commodity in the NFL. Let’s assume the Jaguars want to add another edge rusher. Who are the options at 25?

Penn State’s Jayson Oweh is a freak as an athlete. At 6-foot-5, 252 pounds Oweh ran a 4.33 in his 40 at his pro day. There are questions about his production, however. This past season, he didn’t have a single sack and was credited with only five quarterback pressures. Still, his measurable athletic ability will likely mean he’ll be gone before the Jaguars select at 25.

Miami’s Greg Rousseau opted out in 2020 because of COVID concerns. He may be better as an inside rusher at this point and therefore might not exactly fit in the Jaguars scheme.

Georgia’s Azeez Ojulari is 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, small for the position, but he’s a terrific pass rusher. He’s been compared to Yannick Ngakoue. His size would not be as much of a concern for a team running a 3-4 compared to one utilizing a 4-3 defense as the Jaguars have in past years.

And then there is Jaelen Phillips who started his career at UCLA before transferring to Miami. He has huge upside, but there are concussion concerns. He totaled 8 sacks this past season.

If the Jaguars want a pass rusher, one or more of these guys could be available to them at 25.