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Mocking the Draft: Jacksonville Jaguars Team Needs!

By River City Rage

We've got some big news here at SB Nation!  Matt Miller of New Era Scouting now has his own Blog covering all things NFL Draft!

Mocking the Draft

I've got a tremendous amount of respect for New Era Scouting and Matt for all their hard work to make sense of the chaos that is the NFL Draft.  Their opinions are solid, and they're more than happy to share the "secrets" of scouting.  For example, I recommend that everyone reads Matt's explanation of how to scout offensive linemen.  I'll be the first to admit that I don't know the slightest bit about the fundamentals of being an offensive lineman.  I understand what I see on television, but just a quick read of Matt's post makes it far easier to know what to look for, especially during the silly season of pre-draft madness.

Need Proof:

Watch the lineman's technique here. Does he dip and drive the defender, or is he trying to just shadow block him? We want a lineman that has a mean streak and likes contact. The ideal lineman will drop his butt and hips, bend his elbows into a "V" formation and drive his man with his hands inside the chest plate of the shoulder pads. Try not to look too much into a player's bench press numbers. Some players are just naturally stronger and better lifters. There are too many outside factors to consider as well, like arm length and form.

Now, Matt would like all the SB Nation Football Bloggers to take a look at their teams and start to imagine what their off-season needs look like.  I'm gonna throw out my ideas, but before I submit it over to Mocking the Draft, I'd like to have your input as well.  I realize that we're a long way from thinking about Free Agency and the Draft,  but we've certainly seen the holes in the Jaguars   roster and have some idea of what we need to do before next season.

  1. Pass Rush: Jacksonville needs a legitimate threat at Defensive End that can deliver constant pressure on the quarterback.  Our lack of pass rush effects every aspect of our defense and could also releive the problems we're having in our secondary.  While I don't like the idea of "Magic Bullet" solutions, a consistent force at Defensive End would, I believe, bring the Jaguars defense back toward the top in the league.  Notable "potential" free agents include Ravens DE Terrell Suggs and Chiefs DE Jared Allen.  Though Suggs is more of a DE/OLB hybrid that's not really suited for the Jaguars system...
  2. Safety: Yeah, we drafted Reggie Nelson, but the injuries to everyone else has forced us to put an older (but still good) Sammy Knight next to him in the deep backfield.  Jacksonville would be well served to go after someone with experience at Strong Safety, someone who can play the run as well as in coverage.  I wonder if there are any players that might be possible free agents next year that would work?
  3. Wide Receiver: With the accent of David Garrard into a near elite quarterback, the presence of a legitimate deep pass threat is a must have.  If the Jaguars offense had a player that could demand double coverage or at least punish teams who put that 8th man in the box, we'd be dangerous in both  the run and the pass.  I'd like to see the Jaguars dump Matt Jones, Keep Reggie Williams, Ernest Wilford, John Broussard, Mike Walker, and Dennis Northcutt, and make a signing.  
So there you go, these are my thoughts.  I'd like to know what you think, so I can get our collective ideas over to Matt.

If you are curious, a list of 2008 Free Agents can be found here.

-Chris

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