Breaking: Jaguars strike gold with potential draft steal in 6’7″ and 278 pounds DE
• In Round 7 of the 2024 NFL Draft, Myles Cole was selected by the Jaguars. Cole is a possible steal because of his remarkable physical attributes.
Teams typically anticipate that seventh-round selections will either play as backups or valuable members of special teams. Myles Cole, a defensive end that the Jacksonville Jaguars selected in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft, may be better than that, though.
Cole has the physical attributes that general manager Trent Baalke looks for in a pass rusher, standing at 6’7″ and 278 pounds. At the Scouting Combine, Cole ran the 40-yard sprint in an amazing 4.69 seconds, despite his stature. In addition, he has the physical attributes necessary to succeed in the NFL—his 37-inch arms were the longest of any edge rusher selected in the draft. However, there are a few explanations for why the former Red Raider from Texas Tech had to wait so long to hear his name called.
To begin with, even though Cole played six seasons of collegiate ball, he is still raw at 24 years old when the season begins. He will need to concentrate on his hand usage and improve his run defense. Nevertheless, there’s a good reason the Jaguars passed on him.
Although he still has to expand his skill set, Cole has shown promise as a pass-rusher. Furthermore, Bleacher Report scouting director Matt Holder thinks he can fix his shortcomings against the run. When you consider his extraordinary length and size, the Jaguars may have discovered a late-round gem.
The Jaguars will give Myles Cole a chance to develop
The pass-rush duo of Josh Allen and Travon Walker for the Jaguars is formidable. Between the two, they recorded 27.5 sacks in the previous year. They are currently refining the remaining portion of their rotation, though. Trevin Gipson, a free agent, is currently ranked third.
Gipson may see a career rebirth in Jacksonville since he has demonstrated in the past that he can pressure the quarterback. However, he is coming off of two lackluster seasons, so there is no assurance that he will improve in 2024. That might make it possible for Cole to get into the starting lineup.
Cole is undoubtedly a work in progress, but as Matt Holder noted, he only had two years of Power 5 coaching experience. It makes sense to believe that Jeremy Garrett, the defensive line coach, and Ryan Nielsen, the defensive coordinator, will be able to fully utilize him.
Devid Kenyon of Bleacher Report, for example, thinks Cole is the best steal of the draft and the Jaguars received a wonderful deal. In a similar vein, Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire praised Cole highly and mentioned his interesting tools.
In the end, Myles Cole is a project, but he possesses the physical attributes to become a significant player. The Jacksonville Jaguars are certain that he will.
