The Jacksonville Jaguars have spent this free agency period adding to the defensive side of the ball. Always willing to hand out the large contract to proven veterans, Jacksonville signed Calais Campbell, A.J. Bouye and Barry Church.
Now apparently looking to offense heading into the 2017 NFL Draft, the Jaguars are reportedly settled on running back in the first round.
Appearing on @NextLevelFF, @ESPNdirocco says he expects the Jaguars to take a RB in the top half of the draft, and Fournette may be the guy
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) March 18, 2017
This shouldn’t be considered too much of a surprise. Even after signing Chris Ivory to an expensive contract last offseason, Jacksonville still found a way to finish in the bottom 10 in the NFL in rushing. The likes of Ivory and former second-round pick T.J. Yeldon both averaged less than four yards per rush in 2016.
Adding an elite-level running back would help mistake-prone quarterback Blake Bortles overcome his turnover proneness. He threw 16 interceptions last season and has tossed 51 picks throughout his three-year NFL career.
The Jaguars’ likely target at No. 4 overall would be LSU’s Leonard Fournette. Though, there’s surely a scenario in play here that suggests the team could trade down. Fournette, Dalvin Cook and Christian McCaffrey are all considered likely first-round picks from the running back position.