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Kaye's Take: Eight Jaguars thoughts prior to the 2018 NFL Draft

Supplied with seven picks throughout the seven-round process, the Jaguars will look to build on their impressive run to the AFC Championship Game this past postseason.

The Jaguars face the most crucial draft of the twisting-and-turning Dave Caldwell era this weekend. Supplied with seven picks throughout the seven-round process, the Jaguars will look to build on their impressive run to the AFC Championship Game this past postseason.

Suffering the fate (or luxury) of a team on the rise, the Jaguars will pick late in each round, starting with the 29th overall selection. The Jaguars have been bottom-dwellers for so long, this will feel like a significant change of pace for the organization and its fan base.

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With just a few hours to spare, here are eight thoughts on the NFL Draft as it relates to the Jaguars:

1. If the Jaguars front office loves a specific player, they should invest in him with a trade up the board.

The Jaguars have very few needs entering this year's draft, so holding on to all of their picks isn't as essential as it was in previous campaigns. If the Jaguars have fallen in love with an offensive lineman like UTEP's Will Hernandez or Notre Dame's Mike McGlinchey, they should do everything they can to nab that prospect. The same can be said if a quarterback falls to a certain point, as the Jaguars have a team-friendly deal with incumbent starter Blake Bortles.

2. The Jaguars should avoid making history on Thursday night, unless they are given an offer they can't refuse.

In the history of the Jaguars' franchise, Jacksonville has never traded out of the first round. While dropping back for additional draft ammo may seem appealing on the surface at No. 29, the Jaguars don't have a lot of roster holes, thus making additional picks somewhat unnecessary. The Jaguars are in "win now" mode, which should lead to them taking the best available prospect (or fit) for the team moving forward.

If they are given a mid-second-round pick in this draft and a first-round pick next year, by all means, make that deal. However, anything short of that would seem to be an unnecessary exercise.

3. The run-first offense should factor heavily into the Jaguars' picks.

The Jaguars had misleading rushing stats due to some big plays made early on in the season. This offseason, especially in the draft, the Jaguars need to improve their running game even further. Jacksonville should target at least one premium blocker in the first two days of the draft. While that lineman may not see the field immediately, the Jaguars could use reinforcements as early as this season.

A running back prospect should also be discussed as well, especially on Day 3.

4. The Jaguars shouldn't be afraid to upgrade positions that are already strong.

Good teams typically build on their strengths. It doesn't matter how much faith there is in a certain position, you can always get better.

The Jaguars feel like they could line up with their current roster right now. However, they will still look to improve positions through the draft. If a stellar player falls and he is high on their draft board, the Jaguars need to feel comfortable pulling the trigger on a position that is not necessarily a need.

5. Jacksonville should be planning for the present with an eye on the future.

The Jaguars have some on-the-surface needs: tight end, guard, wide receiver and linebacker. They also have some positions to keep eye on for the future: defensive end, running back, offensive tackle, safety and cornerback.

As previously mentioned, Jacksonville is in "win now" mode, so filling urgent needs obviously takes priority. However, their impending needs for the future should also be part of their draft strategy.

If they see a promising running back on the board at No. 61 (second-round pick), they should figure out if they can select that player and still take care of their other immediate needs later on.

Notable players like Marcel Dareus, Tashaun Gipson, Barry Church, T.J. Yeldon and Dante Fowler could all be elsewhere after this season, so planning ahead for some of those departures could help the Jaguars next offseason.

6. The boring pick is fine.

The Jaguars' first-round pick is likely to be of the boring variety. If they select a guard or offensive tackle or a traditional tight end, it's because they think that player will help them in both areas of the offense. Frankly, anything that can help the offense run more efficiently should be welcomed.

7. This is probably the most wide-open draft in recent memory.

The entire first-round seems like roulette table of projections. The polarizing nature of this class has made it extremely hard to find a consensus among the group. The Jaguars' pick could go many ways and it's not just because they pick so late. There will be plenty of surprises, especially on Thursday night.

8. The defense isn't fully built, believe it or not.

The Jaguars were very lucky when it came injuries on defense last year. Linebacker Telvin Smith missed two games last season and he was the only starter on defense to miss a matchup during the Jaguars' strong 2017 run to the playoffs.

The Jaguars didn't have much depth on defense last season and were conveniently able to avoid exposure in that aspect due to some unsustainably strong health on that side of the ball.

The Jaguars badly need to add depth at linebacker and cornerback during the draft. There is a serious need for them to hedge bets in those areas. They could also benefit from adding a defensive lineman or two due to an inevitable exodus that should take place next offseason.

Follow Mike Kaye on Twitter at @Mike_E_Kaye.

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