Jacksonville Jaguars NFL Draft Grades 2023: Antonio Johnson and Parker Washington Among Day 3 Selections

Trent Baalke and the Jacksonville Jaguars went from cellar dwellers to the cream of the AFC South crop a season ago. What do their 2023 NFL Draft grades tell us about their ability to repeat in the South and to keep building their team into an even greater AFC contender?

Jacksonville Jaguars NFL Draft Grades

Round 1, Pick 27: Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma

The Jaguars must protect Trevor Lawrence. Cam Robinson will miss an undisclosed amount of time after being suspended for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy. Walker Little flashed in Robinson’s absence, but the Jaguars also lost Jawaan Taylor in free agency.

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Anton Harrison has a lot of untapped potential in his game. He’s a fantastic athlete for the position and has the ideal amount of length to ward off opposing pass rushers. The AFC South boasts a mix of speed and power rushers that the young blocker must deal with twice a year, so cleaning up some of his technical deficiencies will be necessary for sustained success.

Grade: B-

Round 2, Pick 61: Brenton Strange, TE, Penn State

The run on tight ends has begun, and none of them appear to be Darnell Washington. Brenton Strange possesses a strong build and a decent separation ability. He’s a savvy route runner who consistently finds holes against zone defense, and his hands are consistent.

Strange is a decent enough athlete and is an aggressive blocker, but his lack of length shows up everywhere on tape. But as a high-end second option who could move around the formation and bring more as a blocker than Evan Engram, the selection makes a bit more sense.

Grade: C

Round 3, Pick 88: Tank Bigsby, RB, Auburn

Tank Bigsby needs to become a more nuanced processor as he decides to hit holes, but he is a fantastic talent overall with big-time playmaking ability. He’s caught a lot of passes over the years for Auburn, and he’s also a strong pass protector.

He will provide the thunder to Travis Etienne’s lightning. If he can hone in on his decisiveness, Bigsby could end up being a true difference-maker.

Grade: B-

Round 4, Pick 121: Ventrell Miller, LB, Florida

Ventrell Miller is not a modern linebacker, but that’s not necessarily the end of the world. It deosn’t hurt to have a designated run fitter when the rest of the linebacking corps are more of the modern speedy types!

Grade: C+

Round 4, Pick 130: Tyler Lacy, DL, Oklahoma State

The tweener EDGE/interior defensive lineman was a need for the Jaguars, and Tyler Lacy fits that mold.

Grade: B-

Round 5, Pick 136: Yasir Abdullah, EDGE, Louisville

I’m not sure what the vision is in Jacksonville regarding their linebackers. Yasir Abdullah played as a rush linebacker for the Cardinals but has been projected to off-ball linebacker at the NFL level. Perhaps his role in Jacksonville is as a sub-package rusher?

Grade: C

Round 5, Pick 160: Antonio Johnson, CB, Texas A&M

Not many people expected Antonio Johnson to fall this far, but the league’s loss could be the Jaguars’ gain.

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Although he certainly isn’t a perfect prospect because he lacks the long speed teams look for, he is a competitive coverage corner who could survive in a zone-heavy role.

Grade: B

Round 6, Pick 185: Parker Washington, WR, Penn State

Parker Washington is the perfect late-round receiver who might be able to produce immediately at the NFL level but may not ever be more than a low-end No. 3 in an offense because he lacks upside.

Grade: C+

Round 6, Pick 202: Christian Braswell, CB, Rutgers

Christian Braswell is undersized but very explosive. While he’ll likely never be more than a special teamer at the NFL level, adding depth to the DB room was necessary for Jacksonville in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Grade: C+

Round 6, Pick 208: Erick Hallett II, DB, Pittsburgh

The Jaguars continue to stockpile defensive backs on Day 3, creating competition at cornerback and safety heading into training camp at positions that needed to be upgraded from a season ago. This is the definition of throwing darts.

Grade: B-

Round 7, Pick 226: Cooper Hodges, OL, Appalachian State

There’s nothing wrong with the Jaguars’ approach of adding a player who started 51 games throughout his college career. Although Cooper Hodges played all of them at right tackle, he’ll likely slide into a guard spot at the NFL level.

Grade: B

Round 7, Pick 227: Raymond Vohasek, DT, North Carolina

The Jaguars have done a decent job at throwing darts, but the Raymond Vohasek selection doesn’t make much sense on the surface, considering how many other quality defensive tackle options were still available.

Grade: D+

Round 7, Pick 240: Derek Parish, EDGE, Houston

Derek Parish was moved to fullback at the East-West Shrine Bowl, and that’s likely where he’ll remain at the NFL level, along with being a special-teams stalwart. Parish’s lack of length was simply too great to remain on the defensive side of the ball at the next level.

Grade: B

What Were the Jaguars’ Biggest Needs Entering the Draft?

• CB, G, OT, DT, RB

The Jacksonville Jaguars could be in luck. Their greatest need could likely be filled by an instant contributor on Day 1 or Day 2 of the NFL Draft. If they’re okay with fielding a smaller cornerback in the slot, Jacksonville’s options are practically limitless.

The team has faith in Walker Little at right tackle, but if the right name gets to them in the first round, they could consider drafting an OT to keep Little playing as the swing tackle. The Jaguars could also try to upgrade at left guard. And while an edge rusher isn’t necessarily a need, it never hurts to add some talent along the defensive front.