Can the Jaguars replace Jawaan Taylor through the draft?

Replacing Jawaan Taylor is now an immediate priority for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The offensive tackle left the team to join the Super Bowl champion, Kansas City Chiefs on a four-year deal worth a massive $80 million on Monday.

Taylor has been a crucial player for the Jaguars since he was drafted as the 35th overall pick in 2019. He started each of the 66 games he appeared in during his time with the franchise. The Jaguars now face the task of adequately replacing him.

Jaguar's attempts to retain Taylor

The Jaguars did their best to keep the offensive tackle, who has been crucial to their success in recent years, in their roster but to no avail. Retaining him proved difficult for the team as a result of cap space. However, this landed him a big payday at the Chiefs.

The former Florida Gators alum struggled early in his NFL career, but found his footing in the 2022 NFL season, where he allowed a career-high five sacks and 16 pressures. He played a crucial role in ensuring the team won the AFC South.

Performance in the just-concluded 2022 season made him highly sought-after in the NFL. The season improved his value and eventually got him out of reach for the Jaguars. It is, therefore, a necessity to find a good replacement for him in order to maintain their recent successes.

Top Offensive Tackle Prospects in the 2023 Draft

NFL Combine - Paris Johnson

Next month's draft has no shortage of brilliant offensive tackles. A number of teams in the league are definitely already looking at some of the players in the position who featured at the recently concluded NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

A couple of top offensive tackle prospects who impressed at the Scouting Combine include Ohio State's Paris Johnson, Tennessee’s Darnell Wright, Oklahoma's Anton Harrison, Syracuse's Matthew Bergeron, and Georgia's Broderick Jones.

It's all up to the management of the franchise to decide whether they will replace Taylor the way they got him or look inward within their team for a replacement. Walker Little easily comes to mind, but the 2021 second-round pick has played mostly at left tackle.

It's therefore crucial for the franchise to find a prospect who is capable of filling Taylor's void on the right side.