The Jaguars had back-to-back picks in the seventh round of the NFL draft on Saturday and used them on big linemen on both sides of the ball.
But the pick for offense brings back a local product.
Cooper Hodges, who helped lead Baker County to its first-ever appearance in a state championship game in 2017, was the 226th selection. The 6-foot-4, 305-pounder was a four-time All-Sun Belt tackle at Appalachian State but is projected as a guard in the NFL.
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Minutes later, the Jaguars added more depth and beef on the defensive line with the selection of North Carolina’s Raymond Vohasek (6-2, 310), who played only five games last season because of an upper-body injury.
He was ranked as the No. 1 junior college player in the country at DuPage (Ill.), then transferred to Chapel Hill and played four years, with 96 tackles, 17 for losses, 5.5 sacks and a knack for swatting passes at the line of scrimmage, with seven.
Vohasek was an honorable mention All-ACC.
Hodges becomes the second First Coast player on the Jaguars roster, along with linebacker Shaq Quarterback (Oakleaf). He was durable, starting 51 consecutive games for the Mountaineers, with more than 3,500 snaps.
Hodges allowed only seven sacks in 1,668 dropback pass snaps.
Hodges played fullback and on the defensive line for the Wildcats, leading them to a 13-2 record as a senior.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: 2023 NFL draft: Jags go local with OG Cooper Hodges of Appalachian State