Trent

Baalke

The Jaguars are expected to take Georgia’s Travon Walker if they stay at No. 1, although that is far from a sure thing. Aidan Hutchinson, long thought to be the first overall pick could entice a team to move up, allowing the Jaguars to get Walker and additional capital from a small trade down. However, the Lions and Texans could also be eyeing different players, making it difficult to generate trade interest within the top four picks. Without a quarterback to drive the trade market, the Jaguars will most likely make the No. 1 selection.

Baalke wouldn’t reveal the identity of any of the four players, but best guesses are edge rushers Aidan Hutchinson and Travon Walker along with a couple of the top offensive tackles. Baalke also added no teams have approached the Jaguars about trading up to No. 1 overall. The betting favorite for No. 1 overall remains Hutchinson.

Baalke followed that up by saying, “We’re very comfortable with taking the pick as well.” Baalke was no stranger to moving up and down the draft board during his time as the 49ers’ general manager. The Jags have an uncountable number of holes in their roster and the extra picks gained from trading down would go a long way in patching them. If another franchise is desperate to land the player of their dreams at the top of the draft, Baalke would be wise to let them pay a premium to shoot their shot.

Rapoport noted that Doug Pederson “has been impressive and Khan doesn’t want to impede significant progress with a new voice.” Pederson was fired after a power struggle in Philly and is already making moves within the Jacksonville organization. It sounds like he will have a strong say in high-level decisions. Rapoport did add that the team is “still moving forward on their search for an assistant GM under Trent Baalke and may hire other personnel jobs.” Baalke has the final say on all major decisions but Pederson’s influence is growing rapidly.

This is all conjecture that has been vaguely alluded to at this point, but here it is out in the open. All momentum was pointing towards the Jaguars hiring Leftwich in the middle of last week before he presented Adrian Wilson as a GM candidate and suggested he wouldn’t want to work with embattled current GM Baalke. The Jaguars are currently in a holding pattern as they try to find a head coach and GM who actually will want to work together, with the current heavy rumor being Rick Spielman, Doug Pederson, and Baalke employed but reporting to Spielman.

It’s unclear what the position would be. Spielman, one of the league’s most respected general managers before he was shockingly dismissed by the Vikings last month, could bring some much-needed clout to a joke franchise lacking any sense of direction. Locking up Spielman in the team’s front office would inspire confidence in the team’s next head coach following last year’s Urban Meyer debacle, even if GM Trent Baalke somehow stays put.

Baalke survived Urban Meyer’s firing and has been involved in Jacksonville’s coaching search. There are reports whoever the Jaguars hire could decide Baalke’s fate, making this a situation similar to the Chiefs with GM Scott Pioli in 2013. The Jaguars fan base is campaigning for owner Shad Khan to fire Baalke, who made the team worse in his first season despite $100 million in cap space and five of the top-65 draft picks. Baalke promoted DL coach Jim Tomasula after a falling out with Jim Harbaugh and hired Chip Kelly as his coaches while he was the general manager of the 49ers.

Assembling one of the worst rosters in the NFL isn’t enough for Jaguars owner Shad Khan to move on from Baalke a year after promoting him to general manager at the urging of disgraced former head coach Urban Meyer. Taking Trevor Lawrence with the first pick in the 2021 NFL Draft did little to improve the team’s long-struggling offense, and the Jags lack a difference-making pass catcher. Jacksonville’s no-name defense has probably exceeded expectations this season and they’re still among the league’s worst. No matter who the team hires as its next head coach, they’re years away from competing.

Baalke will get another shot at general manager after an up-and-down run with the 49ers. San Francisco made the NFC Conference Championship in each of his first three seasons as general manager, but things flipped in his final three years. He lost coach Jim Harbaugh, hired and fired Jim Tomsula in 2015, and ended up losing his job in 2016 after Chip Kelly’s 2-14 season. Baalke returned to the NFL last year as Jacksonville’s director of player personnel. Coach Urban Meyer assuredly will have a lot of power in personnel decisions, but Baalke provides the NFL experience Meyer lacks. Baalke’s first order of business will be utilizing the Jaguars’ league-leading cap space. Then they can throw the “Welcome to Jacksonville” parade for Trevor Lawrence. Baalke was left with a lot of capital to turn around the 1-15 Jaguars.

Per La Canfora, Pioli “has a strong relationship with Meyer going back a ways.” Baalke is already in Jacksonville as the director of player personnel. Connected to Jacksonville earlier this month, Farmer had a rough go of it in Cleveland half a decade ago.