The Jaguars, after entering the draft with the No. 17 selection in Round 1, traded that selection to the Minnesota Vikings for No. 23. They also received No. 167 (Robinson) and two 2025 selections – a third-rounder and a fourth-rounder.
“The manipulation of the board in the first round was good because you still were able to land the guy that you wanted,” Brooks said. “You got some more capital that you could use for future considerations. So that stuff is good.”
The Jaguars did not trade after Round 1, selecting linemen – Smith and Jefferson on defense, Foster on offense – with three of their next four selections.
“The linemen coming in fortify the front line,” Brooks said. “They make you a much tougher team and they give you a chance to kind of impose your will on the opponent. I think they now are in a better position to compete with the top teams in the division, whether it’s a physical running game or if they have to rush the passer.”
The Jaguars earlier this offseason signed 10-year veteran Arik Armstead as a free agent from the San Francisco 49ers.
“They’re tough, they’re physical, they have more size at the point of attack,” Brooks said. “When you look at all those guys, particularly the two guys from LSU, they’re very physical at the point of attack. That’s everything that you want.
“Will they be double-digit sack people from the inside? I don’t know, but they’re very strong and stout against the run.”
Thomas joins a veteran receiver corps that includes Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis along with tight end Evan Engram. An early-entry junior, he was a second-team All-Southeastern Conference selection and a third-team All-America selection in 2023.
He led FBS in 2023 with 17 touchdown receptions, scoring in 10 of 13 games and catching 68 passes for 1,177 yards.
“He’s very much a vertical playmaker, a guy that does all the clear out work for guys underneath,” Brooks…
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