FanPost

Consensus Opinion

Now that we have had a couple of hours to think about the night and the picks the Jaguars have made, I think it is safe to say that so far, the Jags have drafted a very promising DE and a ****in P to go with Blackmon from Thursday night. I am sure all of us would have preferred ANYONE but a punter in the third, but at this point, what's done is done and it is time to move on. On the bright side, Anger seems like he has a tremendous leg and has the ability to consistently kick punts inside the ten yard line. After the jump, I'll talk about our picks and give a game plan going forward for our team.


Taking Bryan Anger was a big reach. I'll say that is a fair assessment. Does that mean he won't be a good contributor to this team though? Absolutely not. He will come in and be able to flip the field. The one positive that stayed in my head is that I think this defense will be really good if our DL can stay healthy and Branch can provide some consistent pressure. If Anger can put opposing offenses inside their own 15 or even 10 yard line multiple times a game, then I am confident our defense can keep them from scoring touchdowns. I honestly can't see our defense giving up 90 yard drives. I am merely trying to offer some positives after I have gotten all of my frustration out. He's on our team and he will help out, even though I wish we would have taken him at least two rounds later.

Now on to the positives of the draft so far. I think the Justin Blackmon selection was huge. I wasn't super excited at first, but the more I have read about him and studied him, I am happy we made the move. He will never be a burner, but the guy does the most important thing a WR needs to do. He goes up and catches the ball. He doesn't drop passes and fights for the ball. That is something this team has missed for a long time. I think his style will go well with Robinson streaking up the sidelines and Thomas being in the slot. He will give the team another potential superstar on offense and he sure does look good in teal. He has a swagger about him that will only benefit our boring offense.

The Branch selection was another one that I was a little unsure about at first too. I did think Curry seemed more like a pure pass rusher, but after looking at more tape on Branch, I think he shows the effort and quickness on the edge to be a good DE in this league. He was able to bend around the corner and close towards the passer, which is something Harvey was unable to do. Many times in the tape I watched, Branch would hustle back into the video frame after the QB would scramble or the RB would find a hole. He truly does have a high motor and I did not necessarily see a major weakness in his first step. I think Cullen will have a huge effect on Branch, and he should show progress pretty quickly.

So far in the draft, I really love our first two picks, which I would grade as B+/A picks. The only reason I am possibly considering the Branch pick a B+ is because I felt that a player like Glenn would have been huge for our offense. We need to protect Gabbert, which leads us into my game plan for the rest of the draft. With our 5th round pick, it looks like WRs like Adams and McNutt might not be there. However, if there is a speedy slot guy or Chris Rainey still available, I really think Gene needs to add another weapon for Gabbert. This could also be a TE like Ladarius Green if he is there. However, if there are not any weapons Gene believes are worth the pick, then please just get Gabbert some protection. Hopefully an OT like Zebrie Sanders slides to our 5th round pick, but if that is not the case, then there is no reason to worry. There are a few centers left in the draft that have some promise. We will have a chance to draft a center in the 5th that can sit behind Meester for a year and then come in and start next season. I would spend at least two of our last three picks drafting OL to hopefully find a guy that can really play well and add depth. Protecting Gabbert will be critical, considering he now has some weapons to throw to.

Overall, I believe we can still find some good players on the OL that can help this team. As long as Gene gets his senses back, I believe we can right the ship and finish off this draft with a bang. I really am hoping that we can do something logical because I can't handle another pick like we had earlier. Hopefully we have the next Lechler on our hands. Use this for debate as well!!!

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