Solid Starter
Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama – Round 3 
Over the past couple of seasons, Harrison was a solid player as the strong safety for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He is a big, physical, quick, enforcer in the middle of the field who is a hard hitter and tough run defender. Scouts were grading Harrison as a late first-, or early second-round pick. Thus, it was surprising when Harrison slid to late in the second day of the 2018 NFL Draft before Jacksonville made him its third-round pick.
Sources say the reason that Harrison slid was character concerns. The character issues were significant, and a lot of teams did not want to bring Harrison into their locker room and work with him. That was the reason why he fell two rounds below his caliber of play. Unless there is a camera around causing him to change his behavior, Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone is known to be one of the biggest jerks and meanest people in the NFL. Thus, Harrison being a surly player probably won’t bother Marrone. Harrison also is a very good fit for the Jaguars’ defensive scheme. His violent and brash style of play fits in perfectly with cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye.
In Jacksonville, Harrison could emerge as a starting safety early in his NFL career. Tashaun Gipson has been a disappointment as a free agent acquisition, and the Jaguars could use an upgrade over him. After taking some time to develop, Harrison should replace Gipson and be an improvement while also saving Jacksonville money. With the talent that the Jaguars have on the defensive line and at cornerback, Harrison could end up being an impactful safety for them and a solid starter on the back end.
2017: Cam Robinson, OT
2016: Sheldon Day, DT
2015: Dante Fowler, DE
2014: Allen Robinson, WR
2013: Luke Joeckel, LT
Most Likely To Bust
D.J. Chark, WR, LSU – Round 2 
This was a difficult choice because I thought the Jaguars had a solid draft class with good selections on the first two days of the 2018 NFL Draft. I have to pick someone, however, and of the early-round selections, I think Chark could end up being the most likely player to disappoint. Chark needs work as a route-runner, and I think the limitations of Blake Bortles with the Jacksonville passing offense could also keep Chark from producing at the NFL level.
There is no doubt that Chark possesses the speed to stretch teams vertically down the field. He has the potential to be a home-run hitter who can score on any reception with his ability to run away from defenders. Not only does Chark have deep speed, but he also has height at 6-foot-2, so he is a difficult matchup assignment for cornerbacks with his combination of height and speed. Chark is not a precision route-runner, so that is one thing he will have to work on for the NFL, along with improving his hands.
Jacksonville also has a bit of a logjam at wide receiver. Marqise Lee, DeDe Westbrook, Donte Moncrief, Keelan Cole and Rashad Greene could make it hard for Chark to see the field. On top of Bortles being limited, the Jaguars have a ground-based offense that could make it hard for Chark to break out. Of Jacksonville’s early-round selections, I think Chark could have the most bust potential.
2017: DeDe Westbrook, WR
2016: Jalen Ramsey, DB
2015: A.J. Cann, guard
2014: Blake Bortles, QB
2013: Denard Robinson, RB
Potential Boom Pick
Taven Bryan, DT, Florida – Round 1 
Defensive line talent was not a need for the Jaguars, but they wisely took the best player available, landing a true first-round talent in Bryan late on the Thursday night of the 2018 NFL Draft. A team can never have too much defensive line talent, and I think the Jaguars were a perfect landing spot for the talented Bryan. After some time developing in Jacksonville, I think Bryan could become a big time presence for the Jaguars.
The 6-foot-5, 291-pound Bryan is a freak athlete with a rare combination of speed, strength and agility. Bryan is at his best using his speed to fire a gap and achieve penetration into the backfield. He can cause a lot of disruption behind the line of scrimmage, allowing him to blow up runs in the backfield or put heat on the quarterback. Bryan’s speed to fire by guards is a real mismatch for interior blockers. Bryan has a tremendous get-off with serious explosion off the snap. He also has developed strength with active hands to shed blocks or power through them. With his skill set, Bryan could be a dynamic interior pass-rusher in the NFL.
However, Bryan had a late start in football, and that shows up in him not demonstrating good instincts. Bryan is inconsistent and lacks feel and pass-rushing moves. One of the big projects for his NFL defensive line coach will be teaching Bryan some moves in the pass rush because he is too dependent on only speed or power. Thus despite Bryan beging a first-round athlete, he still needs development as a player. That could translate to him not doing much in his first year or two in the NFL. Additionally, the Jaguars are loaded on the defensive line, so it will take time for Bryan to earn more playing time.
Jacksonville is a superb landing spot for Bryan though. He can learn from veterans like Calais Campbell, Marcell Dareus and Malik Jackson, who are all big defensive linemen with speed. If Bryan works hard and develops behind those veterans, he could emerge as a boom pick for the Jaguars and a steal as a late first-rounder.
2017: Leonard Fournette, RB
2016: Myles Jack, LB
2015: T.J. Yeldon, RB
2014: Marqise Lee, WR
2013: Jonathan Cyprien, S
Future Depth Player
Will Richardson, OT, N.C. State – Round 4 
Richardson had the skill set to be a second-day pick, but he fell to the third day because of off-the-field concerns. Still, Richardson has some physical talent to play in the NFL. The Jaguars have established offensive tackles in Cam Robinson and Jeremy Parnell, so Richardson is not battling for a starting job. However, he could be a nice depth player as a swing tackle for game day to come in at either position if an injury strikes. In time perhaps, Richardson could play well enough to get consideration as the replacement for Parnell. At the the least, Richardson could be a nice backup offensive tackle and depth player for the Jaguars.
2017: Dawuane Smoot, DE
2016: Brandon Allen, QB
2015: Michael Bennett, DT
2014: Chris Smith, LB
2013: Ace Sanders, WR
Walt’s 2018 NFL Draft Grades:
29. Taven Bryan, DT, Florida A Grade
Taven Bryan doesn’t exactly fill a need, but the first round is not necessarily a time for needs. Selecting the best player available who makes sense is usually a winning strategy, and the Jaguars appear to have made a terrific move.
Bryan was being discussed as a possible top-20 prospect. Getting him at No. 30 is great value, and it doesn’t hurt to have another interior pass-rusher to rattle Deshaun Watson.
61. D.J. Chark, WR, LSU A Grade
D.J. Chark was the fourth- or fifth-ranked receiver by several teams, so it’s a bit of a surprise to see him slip so late in the second round. The Jaguars won’t complain, as they’re getting quite the bargain at No. 61. Chark will fill a huge need at one of the starting receiver positions, vacated by Allen Robinson. It’s not out of the question that Chark could be Jacksonville’s top wideout by season’s end.
93. Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama A+ Grade
“Wow” is what I just said aloud. Harrison is the third prospect I forgot was still on the board on Day 2. Harrison was a high second-round prospect, and if he would’ve been taken late in the first, I wouldn’t have hated it. Harrison is a very talented safety who will make Jacksonville’s defense even more dominant.
129. Will Richardson, OT, N.C. State A Grade
The Jaguars are having a fantastic draft. Will Richardson is a second-round talent, but fell because of off-the-field problems. The time is right to take a chance on someone like Richardson, and Jacksonville seems like the right place for Richardson to stay out of trouble.
203. Tanner Lee, QB, Nebraska C Grade
You’d think the Jaguars wouldn’t draft a poor man’s version of their current quarterback, but that’s exactly what they did. Like Blake Bortles, Tanner Lee has a big arm but doesn’t really know how to play quarterback well at all. If coached up, he could maybe become a semi-decent backup, but Jacksonville should’ve gone in a different direction.
230. Leon Jacobs, LB, Wisconsin B Grade
Leon Jacobs, if he does anything beyond special teams, will have to be limited to just two downs. He was strong versus the run in Wisconsin, but his coverage skills are questionable. This is a decent pick in the seventh round.
247. Logan Cooke, P, Mississippi State C Grade
Logan Cooke isn’t even a good punter prospect. I’d go lower than a “C” on this if I promised I wouldn’t go lower than a “C” in the seventh round.
2018 NFL Draft Team Grade: A+ . Follow Walter @walterfootball for updates.
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