2008 NFL Draft Preview: Jacksonville Jaguars' Wishlist

The Jaguars defeated the Steelers in the playoffs (the second time in Pittsburgh in 2007) before succumbing to the undefeated Patriots in New England. David Garrard impressed everyone in 2007, and the team played great against the Patriots for the first half. Now it's time for 2008.

The Jaguars were one of the feel-good stories in the NFL in 2007 - winning a playoff game in Pittsburgh and playing well against New England for three quarters. David Garrard is a very likeable player (18 TDs to only 3 INTs doesn't hurt either), while playing good defense and running the ball are staples of the Jack Del Rio-led team. Jacksonville lost only one non-division game in 2007 (New Orleans) showing the top-to-bottom strength of the AFC South. Winning 6 of the final 8 games led Jacksonville to an 11-5 record and a playoff birth. In addition to Garrard, Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew combined for almost 2,000 yards on the ground with 14 TDs. The wide receiving corps had it's moments, but has largely under-achieved the past few seasons. John Henderson and Marcus Stroud anchor the defense in the middle of the line, while Mike Peterson and Rashean Mathis are leaders in the back-seven.

There aren't too many holes to fill on this Jacksonville team - they did finish 11-5 in 2007 - but a guard, pass rusher, linebacker, cornerback and strong safety wouldn't hurt entering 2008. Cornerback and linebacker are very deep positions in the 2008 NFL draft.

Looking at Jacksonville's 1st round pick, coming very late with their strong finish in 2007, cornerback, linebacker and defensive end are all good possibilities. At cornerback, Reggie Smith (Oklahoma), Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Tennessee State) and Aqib Talib (Kansas) are all capable of at least playing nickel in their rookie season. At linebacker, Ali Highsmith (LSU) is an excellent value late in the 1st round. Lawrence Jackson (USC) and Chris Ellis (Virginia Tech) are high energy defensive ends to bolster Jacksonville's pass rush in 2008 and beyond.