Where have you gone, Tony Boselli?
Duval turns it's lonely eyes to you.
What's that you say, Mrs. Robinson?
Big Bo' has left and gone away,
Hey, hey, hey,
Hey, hey, hey...
There was a day, long ago, when the first round of the draft was a happy place for Jaguars fans. Between 1995 and 2002, Tom Coughlin selected 10 players in the first round of the NFL draft over the 8 years he was in charge of Jaguars personnel. Two of those players, Tony Boselli and Fred Taylor, are in The Pride of the Jaguars and have earned discussion of Hall of Fame consideration.
Three other Coughlin first-rounders made the Pro Bowl at least once in their career - Kevin Hardy, Marcus Stroud, and John Henderson. Five of Coughlin's ten first-round picks made it in all.
year | 1st round selection | Pro Bowls |
1995 | Tony Boselli | 5 |
1995 | James Stewart | 0 |
1996 | Kevin Hardy | 1 |
1997 | Renaldo Wynn | 0 |
1998 | Fred Taylor | 1 |
1998 | Donovin Darius | 0 |
1999 | Fernando Bryant | 0 |
2000 | R Jay Soward | 0 |
2001 | Marcus Stroud | 3 |
2002 | John Henderson | 2 |
Making the Pro Bowl is really what we expect of first-rounders, isn't it? At least one Pro Bowl. We live in a world where David Garrard played in a Pro Bowl, so...
How have the Jaguars first-rounders fared since Coughlin's departure? Straight trash tbh.
The Jaguars have drafted 12 players 2003 - 2014 and one has made a Pro Bowl - Marcedes Lewis.
One out of twelve.
year | player | Pro Bowls |
2003 | Byron Leftwich | 0 |
2004 | Reggie Williams | 0 |
2005 | Matt Jones | 0 |
2006 | Marcedes Lewis | 1 |
2007 | Reggie Nelson | 0 |
2008 | Derrick Harvey | 0 |
2009 | Eugene Monroe | 0 |
2010 | Tyson Alualu | 0 |
2011 | Blaine Gabbert | 0 |
2012 | Justin Blackmon | 0 |
2013 | Luke Joeckel | 0 |
2014 | Blake Bortles | 0 |
I spent a few minutes feeling like this must be the worst percentage in the NFL over the last twelve years. After several minutes of exhausting research I discovered that ... yes, it is.
One Pro Bowler out of twelve picks is definitely the bottom of the barrel in the NFL. The NFL average during this period is over 4 Pro Bowlers. Philadelphia (Shawn Andrews) and Oakland (Nnamdi Asomugha) also drafted only one Pro Bowler each during this period but both of their picks made multiple Pro Bowls and earned All-Pro honors.
team |
1st round Pro Bowlers 2003 - 2014 |
Arizona | 4 |
Atlanta | 4 |
Baltimore | 4 |
Buffalo | 5 |
Carolina | 5 |
Chicago | 3 |
Cincinnati | 4 |
Cleveland | 5 |
Dallas | 8 |
Denver | 4 |
Detroit | 4 |
Green Bay | 3 |
Houston | 6 |
Indianapolis | 3 |
Jacksonville | 1 |
Kansas City | 6 |
Miami | 4 |
Minnesota | 6 |
New England | 5 |
New Orleans | 3 |
Mew York Giants | 3 |
New York Jets | 5 |
Oakland | 1 |
Philadelphia | 1 |
Pittsburgh | 5 |
San Diego | 4 |
San Francisco | 7 |
Seattle | 3 |
St. Louis | 3 |
Tampa Bay | 4 |
Tennessee | 3 |
Washington |
7 |
What does all of this mean for this year? Not much.
It's not like the Jaguars haven't been trying to make bad selections. You would think that even with the luck of Vito Stellino the Jaguars would have had more success.
GM Dave Caldwell has acknowledged that the Jaguars need to find difference makers in this draft.
Is Vic Beasley a guy that could make a Pro Bowl? Dante Fowler? Leonard Williams? Amari Cooper?
Can we still hold out hope that Luke Joeckel or Blake Bortles could eventually be considered at the top of their positions in the AFC?
Will Dave Caldwell get the pick right on Thursday night or will he pick another in a long list of turkeys?