‘Something to prove’: Missouri’s Javon Foster selected in 4th round of 2024 NFL Draft

Another Missouri Tiger is off the board in this year’s NFL Draft.

Mizzou offensive tackle Javon Foster was next up on Saturday, selected 114th overall in the 4th round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He is headed to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Foster spoke with media members via Zoom shortly after his selection. He said that he received the call while with his mother and aunt, and that he had other family on the way to celebrate.

“It was crazy,” Foster said. “It’s something you dream about. You always dream about this type of thing, but then when it happens you don’t know what to say, you don’t know what your reaction’s going to be. But I’m just thankful to be picked, and it’s a blessing.”

Foster said the Jaguars kept in contact with him throughout the pre-draft process. He felt like their relationship started off on the right foot.

“They always have been in contact with me,” Foster said. “I had some great meetings with a few guys in the organization I met early on, and it just seemed like we always hit it off on a good start. So I’m just blessed to have this opportunity.”

The longtime Tiger earned first-team All-SEC accolades in his final year at Mizzou, as well as third-team All-America honors. Foster started all 13 contests for the Tigers this season on an offensive line unit that allowed 1.67 sacks per game.

Returning to the Tigers for his final season, Foster was named a co-captain for the Cotton Bowl-winning squad. He said taking on a leadership role in college prepared him to make the jump to the pros.

“I just felt like it was honestly a captain type of year,” Foster said. “I just felt like the leaders, we brought this team together. We showed the world what we can do. But we always knew that Mizzou had the talent and different things like that, but we could never put it together: I felt like this year, we finally showed the world what we can do.”

Foster hopes to keep that mentality moving forward.

“We always made it a huge competition there,” Foster said. “Our motto (was) always going by something to prove. ... As long as I keep that in mind, and keep that in my head, I feel like I’m always (going to be) successful.”

Now it’s time for the NFL.

Foster earned a 6.18 prospect grade at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, putting him in the “good backup with the potential to develop into a starter” category, per the NFL’s grading system.

Here’s what NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein said about Foster early in the scouting process:

“Durable three-year starter whose arm length and strain can help make up for below-average athletic qualities as a tackle,” Zierlein said. “Foster lacks fluidity in his pass sets and proper footwork with certain run blocks, but he gets his job done. He’s very capable as a zone blocker, maintaining his pacing and sustain, and he’s a thinker in pass sets with a nice approach to diversifying his punch to keep rushers guessing.”

Foster joins Darius Robinson (Arizona Cardinals, 27th overall), Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (Detroit Lions, 61st overall) and Ty’Ron Hopper (Green Bay Packers, 91st overall) as Mizzou players off the board thus far.