The 2015 NFL regular season is officially in the books, which means the top 20 picks have been set in stone. Pick No. 5 overall, the Jacksonville Jaguars definitely have a couple of options. We saw that their offense can be quite explosive this year, but the defense just isn't up to par. With Dante Fowler Jr. coming back from injury next season, they have the opportunity to create a dynamic duo at defensive end in this 2016 NFL Draft. Therefore, they should take none other than Oregon DE DeForest Buckner.
In a mini-mock draft that I did yesterday, I had the Jags taking Notre Dame's Jaylon Smith, but upon further review, Buckner makes a lot more sense.
The Jags were stiff against the run this past season. They allowed only 3.7 yards per carry and barely 100 yards per game. Those are solid numbers for sure. Where they struggled defensively is through the air. Jacksonville was the fourth-worst team against the pass, giving up over 265 yards per game. It was also second to last in the league in points allowed, giving up 28.0 per game.
While a defensive back may make sense here as well, such as Florida State's Jalen Ramsey, the Jaguars have a special opportunity here.
As mentioned, Fowler will be coming back from his torn ACL. The 6-foot-3, 260-pound speed rusher would be even more terrorizing to opposing teams if there was a 6-foot-7, 290-pound beast on the other side of the defensive line. Not only would their run defense get stronger, but their pass rush could be downright amazing. One of the biggest reasons why Jacksonville struggled so much against the pass last year was the lack of a pass rush. The team only took down the quarterback 36 teams, and no one player had 5.5 sacks. For comparison, Fowler had 8.5 sacks his senior year and Buckner had 10.5. That's a lot better.
Truthfully, it doesn't matter how good your cover guys are if you can't pressure the quarterback. If the opponent's signal caller can just sit there in the pocket for five, six seconds every dropback, someone is guaranteed to get open.
Buckner, from a physical standpoint, reminds me a lot of Julius Peppers. His motor is one of his greatest assets, and brings a lot of energy, carrying his huge frame well. He moves extremely well, and can use both power or speed moves when rushing the passer. He can also slide inside from time to time, and can simply outmuscle guards and tackles. It's impressive to say the least. The soon-to-be-former Duck's length also comes in handy when attempting to bat balls down out of the air.
Suffice to say, a combination of Fowler and Buckner for at least the next few years would create an amazing pair of defensive ends who could lead the Jags' defense back to a respectable level as soon as next year. Especially in a weak AFC South division, that could mean a potential playoff spot.
