Jaguars Willing to Entertain Trade Offers for No. 1 Pick: 'Always Open for Business'

The Jacksonville Jaguars will at least consider trade offers for the No. 1 pick of the 2022 NFL draft.

"You're always open for business," general manager Trent Baalke told reporters Tuesday. 

"Now whether we'll be able to move it or not (is the question), but we're very comfortable taking the pick as well. We've got to be prepared for anything in this league, so to say we won't shop it is probably not 100 percent correct, but to say we will is probably not either. So we're gonna see what comes and if something comes our way and it makes sense to us we'll make that decision at that time."

Jacksonville also had the No. 1 pick in last year's draft, but it was a fairly straightforward selection for a team that needed a franchise quarterback.

This year's pick isn't as clear as Trevor Lawrence, especially since he will ideally be under center for years to come. The Jaguars have a number of needs after finishing a league-worst 3-14 in 2021, and trading back for additional picks could help them address more areas.

The AFC South team could also stay near the top the draft board and perhaps target an offensive lineman in Alabama's Evan Neal or a pass-rusher such as Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson or Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux.

Someone like Neal could help protect Lawrence as he develops into the franchise signal-caller Jacksonville hopes for, but Thibodeaux and Hutchinson could also anchor the defense for the foreseeable future.

"You've got to take the player you think is the best fit for the organization as a whole and makes the biggest difference," Baalke said. "If that's the offensive tackle position, you do it. If that's edge-rusher, you do it.

"I've always been a believer go big or go home, but this draft has a lot of unique players in it. And there may not be that clear No. 1, but there is a lot of very good football players at the top of this draft that obviously being at position No. 1 (we) have our pick of those players."

B/R's NFL Scouting Department projected the Jaguars to select Neal with the first pick in last month's mock draft, which would make sense given the overall importance of keeping Lawrence healthy.

The Jaguars have enjoyed just one winning season since the 2007 campaign, so whoever the top pick is will be under pressure to help change things as soon as his rookie year.