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PFF draft board: Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley celebrates a touchdown from the sidelines along with Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Chad Henne (7) during the second half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2015, in Jacksonville, Fla. Jacksonville defeated the Colts 51-16. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)

PFF is putting together team-specific draft boards for all 32 teams using our draft rankings and evaluation of how each player fits in specific schemes.

Included are three ideal targets for each team with their first-, second-, and third-round picks, along with a team-specific draft board [scroll down to bottom of article] that includes every player in PFF's draft rankings.

Here are the ideal Day 1 and 2 selections for the Jaguars:

Round 1 (fifth overall)

Joey Bosa, ED, Ohio State

Regardless of the expectations on Dante Fowler, Jr. coming off his ACL tear, the Jaguars still need to prioritize upgrading their pass-rush. Bosa has the tools to be a top-end performer versus both the run and pass, and despite being at the top of both the PFF and Jacksonville boards, could still be available at No. 5 on draft day because of QB demand and scheme fits.

Jalen Ramsey, CB, Florida State

While edge help is the Jaguars’ top priority, CB is a close second. Davon House was Jacksonville’s top-ranked CB in coverage last season (42nd in the league), and free-agent acquisition Prince Amukamara never ranked better than 31st in coverage while with the Giants. Ramsey is an elite, scheme-independent defensive back prospect who is No. 2 on Jacksonville’s board, and would be a major Day-1 upgrade for the Jaguars.

Myles Jack, LB, UCLA

Last week, I explained why I believe Jack to be a perfect fit for the Jaguars. While he is No. 3 on Jacksonville’s board and No. 6 on our overall draft board, where Jack will be selected is a bit of an unknown, due largely to medical concerns. If the Jaguars pass on Jack with Bosa and Ramsey unavailable, he could be in for a bit of a “fall” on draft weekend.

Round 2 (38th overall)

Emmanuel Ogbah, ED, Oklahoma State

Ogbah continues the edge theme in Jacksonville; in college, he rushed both as a defensive end and from a two-point stance, and also brings significant potential when rushing from the interior. He displays an excellent combination of first-step quickness and power when rushing on the edge, but could still be available at this point in Roun 2 (despite being 19th on Jacksonville’s board) due to his inconsistent run play.

Austin Johnson, DI, Penn State

Johnson is effective at shedding blockers at the line of scrimmage, which makes him a better fit in Jacksonville than other destinations with schemes that would require him to eat double-teams on a consistent basis. He is 39th overall on the PFF draft board, but at 27 on Jacksonville’s, he essentially has late-first-round value for the Jaguars.

Carl Nassib, DE, Penn State

Nassib would not be a sexy pick at this stage, as he is not the premier athlete generally associated with being an edge player. That being said, he was a highly-skilled pass-rusher in college capable of winning battles with superior hand usage and technique, and offers late-first-round value to the Jaguars.

Round 3 (69th overall)

De’Vante Harris, CB, Texas A&M

Harris is outstanding at breaking and closing on plays in front, making him perfect for Jacksonville’s cover-3 heavy scheme, which will not ask him to play up at the line of scrimmage and consistently expose his slight frame against bigger targets. While his desire to gamble can at times lead to disaster, it will also result in big plays for the defense, and his ranking of 46 on our Jaguars' draft board makes him a tremendous value at 69.

Xavien Howard, CB, Baylor

Howard is a good example of a player we overall aren’t as high on (80th on the PFF draft board) but would make sense significantly earlier for certain teams like Jacksonville (52nd in their prospect rankings). However, it's worth noting that while the Jaguars would love to see the big, athletic CB on the board in Round 3, some are projecting Howard to be selected as high as late Round 1.

Christian Westerman, G, Arizona State

With Brandon Linder moving inside to center, Mackenzy Bernadeau is slated to start at one of Jacksonville’s guard spots, despite an up-and-down career to date that saw him play less than 200 snaps in Dallas as a backup the past two seasons. Westerman has the athletic traits to excel in Jacksonville’s zone concepts, and is 53rd on their draft board (as opposed to 84th overall on the PFF board).

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