The Jaguars clinched the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft on Sunday, but the likely arrival of Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence isn’t the only reason there’s optimism in Jacksonville.
In addition to the first pick in the draft, the Jaguars have a boatload of extra picks acquired in trades, plus more salary cap space than any other team in 2021.
The Jaguars have the Rams’ first-round pick and fourth-round pick from the Jalen Ramsey trade. The Jaguars also have the Vikings’ second-round pick from the Yannick Ngakoue trade, and the Browns’ fifth-round pick from the Ronnie Harrison trade.
And at a time when much of the NFL is expecting to be short on cap space, the Jaguars enter the 2021 offseason with about $75 million in cap space, the most in the league, according to OverTheCap.com.
So it’s not just about Lawrence. It’s also about having the resources to build a good team around Lawrence. The Jaguars could be loaded with talent in the years to come.