Jaguars sign Holt – how does it affect their draft?

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed wide receiver Torry Holt to a three-year, $20 million contract.

Holt’s better days are definitely behind him but he can still contribute, especially on a team that was ready to get buy with Dennis Northcutt and Mike Walker at receiver. Over six million a year is a little steep for a 33-year old, but the Jags had to outbid the Titans, a team that seemed to have the early edge in negotiations.

What will be interesting to keep an eye on is how this signing will affect Jacksonville’s draft. They’re slated to select No. 8 and a lot of draft pundits figured they would go with one of the top wideouts at that spot. But with Holt on board, one would have to believe that they’ll either wait to select a receiver in the later rounds or bypass one altogether and go with what’s currently on the roster.

In my latest mock, I have the Jags drafting Boston College defensive tackle B.J. Raji. If he gets past Cleveland at No. 5, Raji would be a great complement to John Henderson on Jacksonville’s defensive line. The Jags traded Marcus Stroud to Buffalo before the 2008 season and Rob Meier clearly wasn’t up to the task of being a full time starter. If Raji is selected, Meier could go back to being No. 3 in the defensive tackle rotation, which was a role he excelled at before being tossed into a starter last season.

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