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The Jacksonville Jaguars arguably had one of the best drafts this year. All nine of GM David Caldwell’s selections seemed like smart, solid decisions. In my opinion, we hit a homerun with every pick. But here are five guys that I expect to make a big impact.
Round 1, pick 3: Blake Bortles
Leading up to the draft there were a lot of different ideas of who David Caldwell would take with the number three overall pick. Caldwell shocked many analysts when he took Bortles. Head coach Gus Bradley has already said that Bortles will sit his rookie year. I really like this move by Bradley. Former Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert was thrown into the fire just a few weeks into his rookie season when he simply wasn’t ready. This caused Gabbert to develop poor pocket presence which ultimately led to the end of his time here in Jacksonville. Bortles has all of the tools to be successful. He is big, smart, has a great arm, and comes from a pro system. He reminds me a lot of Ben Roethlisberger. Bortles seems to have a knack for brushing off defenders and extending the play. In a pass rush oriented league, you can’t put a price on this skill. I would expect Bortles to start late this season or at the beginning of next season.
Round 2, pick 39: Marqise Lee
In my opinion, Marqise Lee was an absolute steal for the Jags. He won the Biletnikoff award in 2012 and was considered to be a sure top 10 pick when the season started. However, Lee had an off year due to a nagging knee and shin injury. When you combine that with a sluggish 4.5 forty time and issues with drops you get a drop in draft stock. However Lee has come into rookie mini-camp and OTA’s focused and ready to go. I attended rookie mini-camp and got to watch Lee first hand. He showed flashes of great breakaway speed and I think that he is posed to make a solid impact in his rookie year.
Round 2, pick 61: Allen Robinson
David Caldwell traded up to get Robinson in the second round. This again, was a great move by Caldwell to get a great player that can step in and make an impact. It appears as if suspended wide receiver Justin Blackmon will miss all of this season and his future with the Jags is not looking good. Robinson provides a big body “go up and get it” element that Blackmon brought to the table. I wouldn’t be shocked if Robinson is starting opposite side of Cecil Shorts on opening day.
Round 5, pick 144: Telvin Smith
This is by far one of my personal favorite picks. Telvin Smith, aka “Q-Tip” was in my opinion one of the best coverage linebackers available in the draft. If he wouldn’t have failed a drug test many think he would have been a late second to early third round pick. When I saw him in person at the rookie mini-camp I did notice that one thing he needs to improve is his size. Jaguars.com has Smith listed at 6’3 218lbs. If he adds about 10-15lbs of muscle but keeps his killer speed he could easily be one of the best linebackers in the NFL. He won’t start on opening day but he will definitely be in the linebacker rotation throughout the year.
Round 7, pick 222: Storm Johnson
There’s a “storm warning” in Jacksonville. The Jags took Blake Bortles teammate Storm Johnson with their last pick in the draft. I was very impressed with what I saw out of him during mini camp. He was making great cuts and he had a great ability to change speeds. The Jags signed running back Toby Gerhart in the off-season to be a starter but behind Gerhart there is no set number two back. Johnson has the potential to come in and be that guy that can relieve Gerhart. He could perhaps be the steal of the draft.
Overall, the Jacksonville Jaguars had a great draft. They added depth in places needed, and they added key pieces which should help increase their offensive production, which ranked towards the bottom of the league last year. Look for them to shock some people this year!
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