NFL

Jaguars trade up and select Florida OT Jawaan Taylor

Phillip Heilman

phillip.heilman@jacksonville.com

Believing a run on offensive tackles could be coming, Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell was the first to strike early Friday evening.

Caldwell traded up three spots in the second round to 35th overall and selected Florida right tackle Jawaan Taylor, addressing one of the weakest positions on the team's roster with a player who was long considered to be a first-round possibility.

The Jaguars sent their second-round pick (No. 38) and fourth-round pick (No. 109) to Oakland to get No. 35, a fifth-round pick (No. 140) and a seventh-round pick (No. 235).

"We were concerned everybody kind of slotted us as picking a tackle with our seventh pick, and there were some tackle-needy teams behind us," Caldwell said. "Our concern was teams jumping us."

That concern proved accurate only minutes later. Carolina traded up to select Ole Miss' Greg Little 37th, and Buffalo moved up to take Oklahoma's Cody Ford 38th. Denver took Kansas State's Dalton Risner 41st to cap a dizzying run on offensive tackles.

"If we didn't move up, I don't think we would have got him," coach Doug Marrone said.

The 6-foot-5, 312-pound Taylor declared for the NFL draft after a strong junior season in which he played in all 13 games and started 12 at right tackle. In three seasons at Florida, he played 37 games and started 35.

As the draft process unfolded, Taylor shot up draft boards, making his availability Friday a surprise.

Caldwell downplayed reports that a meniscus injury contributed to Taylor's slide. He described Taylor's medical grade as "passable" and added that "there was nothing that made us downgrade him."

Of a possible meniscus injury, Taylor said: "My meniscus was torn in 2017, and I played my whole sophomore season on that. I got the surgery after the season. I played my whole junior season healthy and have been healthy ever since.”

So, why did Taylor slide?

"Teams have different needs, and they have different philosophies and different systems," said Caldwell, who traded up in the second round to get linebacker Myles Jack in 2016 and left tackle Cam Robinson in 2017. "Why a guy falls is different for every team. It's like Tetris putting the puzzle together."

Where Taylor slots in along the Jaguars' offensive line is anything but a puzzle. He should immediately be penciled in as their starting right tackle. The Jaguars' other options are veteran Cedric Ogbuehi and 2018 fourth-round pick Will Richardson.

Ogbuehi signed in free agency last month after four disappointing seasons in Cincinnati. Richardson did not appear in a game during his rookie season. Translation: The job helping protect quarterback Nick Foles should have Taylor's name on it.

Taylor already had the support of Jaguars first-round pick Josh Allen, according to Caldwell.

"When we interviewed [Mississippi State defensive end] Montez Sweat, when we interviewed Josh Allen, we said, 'Who is the best tackle you went against?' [Taylor] is a guy whose name kept popping up," Caldwell said.

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That is, until the draft actually started.

Taylor said it "hurt" to remain in Nashville, Tenn., until Friday to hear his name called. However, he said he "just had to stay patient. I was doing nothing but praying."

Now it's time to get to work. And Taylor sounded more than ready.

"I look forward to coming in and competing every day," Taylor said. "I did the same thing at Florida."

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Phillip Heilman: (904) 359-4063