Draft Grade: Jacksonville Jaguars
Notable Picks
3rd Overall: QB Blake Bortles (Central Florida)
WR Sammy Watkins, OLB Khalil Mack, and QB Johnny Manziel were seen as the top contenders for the Jags’ 3rd overall selection. General Manager Dave Caldwell shocked the world by picking local hero Blake Bortles, who, at 6’ 5” and 230 lbs., does meet the prototypical mold of a quarterback more than any other prospects this year, as the three other top-tier QBs Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater, and Derek Carr are all undersized.
Jacksonville fans will be frustrated for the short-term, as it appears the plan is for the always underwhelming Chad Henne to start at QB for the beginning and perhaps even the entirety of the 2014 season. This will give Bortles time to work on improving his accuracy and throwing mechanics. If Bortles develops successfully, this could be the pick that finally delivers the Jaguars from laughing stock status.
39th Overall: WR Marqise Lee (Southern California)
Lee had a stellar 2012 season, but came back down to earth in 2013 when shoddy quarterback play and coaching tanked his production. But even with his disappointing 2013 campaign, the potential Lee displayed in 2012 gives the Jags a steal here in the second round. He compares to Seattle’s Percy Harvin, with a similar playmaking ability and injury risk.
61st Overall: WR Allen Robinson (Penn State)
The Jaguars addressed the indefinite suspension of Justin Blackmon in a big way, trading back up into the second round to pick up another receiver. Robinson is the perfect complement to Lee, providing a big and sure-handed red zone target to Lee’s shiftiness and home run potential.
93rd Overall: OG Brandon Linder (Miami)
Jacksonville traded up into the third round to select Linder, which is puzzling as most analysts projected Linder as a 5th or 6th round pick, so the Jags could have sat tight in the fourth round and likely still got their guy.
Linder does fill a dire need of Jacksonville’s though: they desperately need more talent on their interior o-line. Linder will reunite with Jacksonville’s Offensive Coordinator Jeff Fisch, formerly Offensive Coordinator of the Miami Hurricanes.
Final Grade: B+
This draft hinges on Bortles, who was a big gamble considering available players like Watkins and Mack could have made a more immediate impact. But if Bortles turns out to be a franchise quarterback, that gamble will have been worth it and more.
In the later rounds, the Jaguars found a lot of value in receivers Lee and Robinson, who are both first-round talents that made their way into the second round and should make things easier for whoever turns out to be the quarterback in Jacksonville in 2014 and beyond. Halfback Storm Johnson was also a steal in the seventh round, providing a mix of power and speed which should ease the pain of losing Maurice Jones-Drew in the offseason.
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