JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The last player the Jaguars drafted is the first to sign a contract.
Punter Logan Cooke, selected in the seventh round in April's draft, agreed to his first NFL contract.
"It actually hits you that you’re signing an NFL contract,” Cooke said. “When you’re going over all of the things inside the contract, it’s actually pretty neat to realize you’re actually doing it.”
The Jaguars drafted Cooke from Mississippi State with the 247th pick. A big punter at 6-5, 230, he appeared in 45 career games for the Bulldogs and served as the punter and kickoff specialist. Over his career, he punted 150 times for a 41.7-yard punt average, which included 60 punts inside the 20 and 35 punts of 50-plus yards. As a kickoff specialist, 74 of his 156 kickoffs (47.4 pct.) resulted in touchbacks.
On Thursday the Jaguars also signed 7th round pick LB Leon Jacobs. Jacobs, 6-1, 246, played for the Wisconsin Badgers from 2013-17 and appeared in 59 career games, totaling 142 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.
“It just feels surreal,” Jacobs said shortly after signing. “I’ve been working for this moment since high school. To see all the hard work you put in through high school and college … obviously this is just the first step, but it feels good.”
Among the other signings on Thursday were 6th round pick QB Tanner Lee and OL Will Richardson who was the Jaguars 4th round pick.
Richardson, 6-6, 306, played in 34 games with 32 starts in three seasons at N.C. State. He recently completed his redshirt junior season in which he earned second-team All-ACC honors by the league and the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association, while not allowing a sack or pressure in all eight ACC contests.
“He’s going to come in and compete at right tackle,” said Jaguars General Manager Dave Caldwell shortly after Richardson was drafted. “Flexible, could play right tackle. We think he might have some guard flexibility, too, and possibly some left tackle flex, too … I think he’s pretty versatile. He’s got good knee bend, he’s always had quick feet, he’s a strong guy, can really anchor against a pass rush and you see what he’s done in the ACC. I don’t think he gave up a sack or even a pressure this year, but he was highly productive there in pass protection.”
The Jaguars will hold a rookie mini-camp Friday through Sunday.