With the fifth pick in the POD Community Mock Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars select linebacker Myles Jack. Justwinginit is the acting general manager for the Jaguars. Below is the rationale for the pick:
2015 was somewhat of a breakout year for half of the Jaguars. They have invested a large number of picks in the first few rounds on offense, and it has begun to pay off. However, the obvious shadow cast on this team has been the defense. I felt the need to address the linebacker position. Paul Posluszny has been a fan favorite since his signing back in 2011, but he has clearly lost a step. Poz has regularly been lost in coverage in non-obvious passing downs when assigned to unfavorable matchups, but Jack is the kind of freak athlete that will be able to hold his own.
Statistically, the Jaguars biggest weakness has been in pass defense (29th), but more specifically third down defense. The team allowed a ridiculous 46.3 percent of third down attempts to be converted, good for 31st in the NFL in 2015 but third-worst since the 2011 season. The lack of talent and athleticism in the front seven has got to be addressed in excess if this team plans to do some damage within their division. If the defense can even improve to league-average, while the offense continues to build off of a strong 2015 season, the Jaguars may be sniffing the playoffs again very soon.
--
Check out our 2016 POD Community Mock Draft tracker for a look at all of the picks.