Jaguars snag Jay Tufele with 1st pick on Day 3 of NFL draft

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected defensive tackle Jay Tufele out of USC in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, No. 106 overall.

Head coach Urban Meyer has retooled his defensive line this offseason in an attempt to improve Jacksonville's pass rush and run defense.

Tufele joins new additions Malcom Brown, Roy Robertson-Harris, and Jihad Ward at defensive tackle, along with DaVon Hamilton and Taven Bryan.

Draft profile

Key stats (2019): 41 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss

Opting out of the 2020 campaign made Tufele a bit of an afterthought in this class despite him being heralded as a potential top-tier prospect early in his collegiate career. The USC product never quite put together an elite overall game, though his advanced pass-rush technique, agility, and natural strength are tools to work with. His run defense still leaves something to be desired, however. Tufele's average size and length won't allow him to fit into any system, but there are enough transferrable skills here to warrant a mid-round selection.