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Jaguars mailbag top question: How will Jaguars address offense in draft?

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- It’s time for the Jacksonville Jaguars mailbag question of the week.

There’s no prize, other than the knowledge that your question piqued my interest the most. That should be enough, anyway.

@ESPNdirocco: First let’s take stock of what has happened so far. General manager David Caldwell said the theme of free agency was to help Blake Bortles and the offense, and the Jaguars accomplished that by signing tight end Julius Thomas and right tackle Jermey Parnell. Caldwell also wanted to pursue Randall Cobb but the receiver ended up signing a contract extension with Green Bay before free agency began.

Landing Cobb and Thomas would have been a ridiculous haul and the Jaguars’ offense would have had the potential to be one of the more productive ones in the AFC provided, of course, that Bortles continued to improve.

So, where do the Jaguars stand right now in terms of adding pieces to the offense? Caldwell said the team has some interest in free agent receiver Greg Jennings, who is taking his time in terms of finding a new home. He would be a solid addition, not only because he’s a respected veteran who can play in the slot but also because he’s still a productive player capable of catching 50 passes. But let’s proceed with the caveat that he doesn’t sign.

I believe the Jaguars will try to add a running back, a receiver, and more help along the offensive line in the draft. Conventional thinking has the Jaguars going pass-rusher in the first round and then adding a back in the second round, with names like Jay Ajayi, Tevin Coleman, David Johnson and David Cobb among the possibilities. It’s a deep group of backs, so the Jaguars could choose to wait a little longer as well.

It’s also a deep group of receivers, so I expect the Jaguars to wait until the third, fourth or fifth round to take one. However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Caldwell take Amari Cooper with the No. 3 pick. That hinges on whether the Jaguars believe Cooper is a true No. 1 receiver like Dez Bryant, A.J. Green and Julio Jones. If they don’t, then possible middle-round targets are Tyler Lockett, Phillip Dorsett, Jamison Crowder and Josh Harper.

I also expect the Jaguars to target an interior offensive lineman in the middle rounds. It’s tougher to predict targets here, but some names to watch would be Ali Marpet, Josue Matias, and Andy Gallik.