LogFAQs > #954384252

Jacksonville Jaguars

QB Matt Leinart (S2, 2nd)
HB Adrian Peterson (S3, 6th)
HB Marshawn Lynch (S4, 29th)
OT Reggie Youngblood (S5, 23rd)
QB Tim Tebow (S7, 28th)
OT Russell Okung (S8, 22nd)
DE Ryan Kerrigan (S9, 29th)
CB Stephon Gillmore (S10, 20th)
HB Devonta Freeman (S11, 29th)
OLB Aaron Lynch (S12, 6th)
OLB Jordan Evans (S13, 29th)
OLB Dante Fowler (S14, 7th)

The only 1st rounder outside of the Sultan era, Leinart was a big bust. He had a roughly early start to his career, and I want to say that he was beat out by S4 2nd rounder Matt Flynn one year and never regained the starting job. I forget what his career path was like after that except I am positive he never became a starter again. I want to say he finished out his career as Brady Quinn's backup in Washington.

Rookies across the board tend to start out slow, but that is more prevalent in HBs. Not Peterson though. From the moment he set foot on the field to when he hung up his cleats for good, he was one of the best HBs in the league and for a time the very best HB in the league. He finished his 11 year career averaging more 1200 rushing yards a season on 4.4 YPC. He was one of the most obvious Hall of Famers that we've had in our league.

Despite morale issues and modest playing time, the Jags really liked the idea of spending 1st rounders on backup HBs. Lynch was the first of those, and as expected, he played sparingly in Jacksonville, got made he wasn't starting, was part of a controversial trade to the Titans, and ultimately suffered a career-ending injury there. I'm not sure what his career stats were like or how he fared in Tennessee, but I'm sure it was nothing special.

Youngblood was excellent in the run game by racking up blocks, indicating he was Peterson's primary blocker to run behind. However, health and pass protection issues made him not worth is price tag as he enters the free agent market after 10 seasons in Jacksonville.

Many teams expressed interest in grabbing Tebow, but it was the Jags who selected him late in the first. His peak was his sophomore season taking over for Drew Brees where he posted an 87.1 passer rating and 17 TDs vs 8 INTs. His passer rating has gone done in each season since, culminating in a 72.4 last season while completing just 53.4% of his passes. Even after being made aware of this fact, management decided to re-sign him, so here we are.

I always preach about the importance of stockpiling OL, and even though the Jags already had Marcus McNeill and Reggie Youngblood, Okung was selected. He had 34 blocks against 3 sacks before being traded to the Patriots for recently retired and Comeback Player of the Year CB Tracy Porter and I want to say a Day 2 pick. He has since gone on to record 196 blocks against 10 sacks allowed for the Patriots. The Jags traded the wrong OT.

I have mentioned this before, but if drafting a player in the first results in them losing the competition to another player who ends up excelling for you, then I'd say that pick was a success. Kerrigan never took over at DE when KGB retired, but Cordero Moore did. Moore has made multiple Pro Bowls and has multiple 15 sack seasons to his credit while also providing 14 FFs+FRs in his six seasons as the starter.

Gillmore may have failed to record an INT last season (he did provide a FF and 2 FRs), but in his first four seasons, he put up a whopping 19 and with trips to the Pro Bowl. Eli Apple has now gained the top CB spot, but Gillmore has had a great career in Jacksonville, even though the team has struggled for a few seasons now.

The latest backup for Peterson, Freeman sparingly played his first three seasons and failed to find the end zone. Becoming just the third full-time HB in franchise history (they had Reuben Droughns for inaugural season), Freeman had a great season despite missing time with 1204 rushing yards on 4.2 YPC and being one of the best receiving backs with 50 rec for 420 yards. With a commitment to changing up the OL after years of lackluster play, perhaps we haven't yet seen the best he has to offer.

Lynch hasn't done much in three seasons with 181 tackles, 7 sacks, 4 INTs, 2 FFs, and a FR. The entire Jags LB corps just wasn't the same after Ray Lewis and David Pollack retired, and Lynch was the first pick to give them a new look, and while it hasn't worked out yet, if the others get things going, maybe Lynch will follow suit.

Okay, the Evans pick might have been an error on my part. I tried deciphering what I was supposed to do the best that I could, but I may have interpreted things incorrectly. Evans didn't even win the starting job as a rookie. A former 5th round pick did, and this was when the Jags fell apart. Evans is now an expensive backup.

As I've also mentioned, I'm not afraid to move on from a recent first round pick if the opportunity presents itself. Dante Fowler was there for the taking at #7, and while he wasn't disruptive with just two sacks, he was a stable force for a much improved Jaguars defense. On an all 25-and-under starting LB group, the direction this group heads might hinge on what Fowler does over these next few seasons.
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KCF can't actually be a real person but he is - greengravy
If you smell what the rock is cooking he's cooking crap - ertyu