As announced previously in this space, Comcast has generously agreed to support the best NFL community around -- us! As part of that effort, between now and the end of the 2010 NFL season Comcast will be sponsoring a variety of special editorial and interactive features on our site. They begin today with the launch of the Comcast HD War Room, your weekly destination for key draft insight and opinion. Welcome!
Now that I've met with the SEO requirement of the headline to bring us some good traffic, I am going to grade the Jacksonville Jaguars draft, but I'm going to do it a little differently. I am going to give a criteria to grade each individual pick. I did steal this from another SBNation blogger, Chris Pokorny. What are the requirements?
1. Player Potential?
2. Expected to Start This Year?
3. Good Value for the Round Chosen (aka Not a Reach)?
4. Filled a Position of Need?
5. Does the Pick Have Fan Approval?
If a player meets all 5 criteria, it's an A. It the player meets 1 of the criteria, it's an F.
I think it's rather silly to do a grade the day after the draft is completed, as most people who do so rarely get it correct. I know last season, because of the mid-round picks I would have given the draft a C+. After a full season however, I would easily give it an A.
| CRITERIA | YES | NO |
| Player Potential | X | |
| Expected to Start | X | |
| Good Value (Reach) | X | |
| Position of Need | X | |
| Fan Approval | X | |
| Final Grade | 3/5 | C |
Tyson Alualu meets 3 of the 5 criteria. One of the criteria he doesn't meet is fan approval, and that really doesn't matter all that much but in the spirit of giving a grade I count it. I think quite a few fans have let Alualu grow on them over the weekend, but the overall sentiment was that he was a reach and fans were unhappy. Alualu was considered a reach by most major media, the only one who seemed fine with the pick was NFL Networks Mike Mayock. Most people question why Jaguars General Manager Gene Smith didn't slide down the board and pick Alualu later, but there are more reports out that the Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, and New England Patriots all had Alualu high on their draft boards.
| CRITERIA | YES | NO |
| Player Potential | X | |
| Expected to Start | X | |
| Good Value | X | |
| Position of Need | X | |
| Fan Approval | X | |
| Final Grade | 3/5 | C |
Like the Alualu pick, D'Anthony Smith gets an automatic knock against him for fan approval. Fans were not happy with the Alualu pick and hoped for a better "splash" in the 3rd round, especially with plenty of house hold names still on the board. Defying convention again, I have to believe Gene Smith stuck to his board and took another defensive tackle. I marked "NO" for a starter for Smith, as it's likely he will not start, but I expect him to be in heavy rotation with the expected release or trade of John Henderson.
| CRITERIA | YES | NO |
| Player Potential | X | |
| Expected to Start | X | |
| Good Value | X | |
| Position of Need | X | |
| Fan Approval | X | |
| Final Grade | 2/5 | D |
Again like the first two picks to come off the board for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Larry Hart brought a collective "Who?: throughout the Jaguars fan base. Hart however, adds to a position of dire need; Sacking the quarterback. Jacksonville Jaguars defensive line coach Joe Cullen actually said he felt that Hart was the best pass rusher in the entire draft after Brandon Graham, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Derrick Morgan. That's high praise for a relative unknown player to all but the die-hard of draft followers. Hart seems to fit more as a 3-4 outside linebacker, but the Jaguars plan to use him as the infamous designated pass rushers (DPR) that has worked out so well poorly in the past.
| CRITERIA | YES | NO |
| Player Potential | X | |
| Expected to Start | X | |
| Good Value | X | |
| Position of Need | X | |
| Fan Approval | X | |
| Final Grade | 4/5 | B |
With their second 5th round pick, the Jacksonville Jaguars finally picked a player most Jaguars fans had heard of, Austen Lane. Lane was a familiar name to those who followed the draft and watched the Senior Bowl. Lane is a big defensive end, likely a left end in a 4-3 scheme, who can rush the passer. The Jaguars should be very familiar with him since Matt Griffin, former Murray State Head Coach, is now on their coaching staff. Lane also offered great value with this selection as many draftniks had him rated as a 3rd round prospect. A big bonus is this selection was the selection picked up from the Oakland Raiders in the Kirk Morrison deal.
| CRITERIA | YES | NO |
| Player Potential | X | |
| Expected to Start | X | |
| Good Value | X | |
| Position of Need | X | |
| Fan Approval | X | |
| Final Grade | 5/5 | A |
Deji Karim is an explosive running back that the Jaguars plan to use as a "specialty back" and give a shot to return kicks. Gene Smith compared him a lot to how Darren Sproles was used when he first came into the league. Karim averaged over 7 yards per carry his final season at SIU and had at least 4 runs of 70 yards or more.
"A third-down type that can catch the ball and do things, screens, draws, slot receiver, getting the ball in space, ...You have a feature back then you have a companion back which is No. 2, and then you have a specialty halfback which is No. 3, so that’s what he is."
| CRITERIA | YES | NO |
| Player Potential | X | |
| Expected to Start | X | |
| Good Value (Reach) | X | |
| Position of Need | X | |
| Fan Approval | X | |
| Final Grade | 4/5 | B |
McGee was an explosive kick returner at James Madison his junior season. He was still very good his senior season, but the Dukes needed him more for his cornerbacking skills, which generally happens when a good kick returner is good at another position. I checked "YES" for expected to start for the same reason I did with Deji Karim; Both could wind up "starters" on special teams as kick returners. Rookie wide receiver Mike Thomas last year did a fine job, but it would seem as if the Jaguars are looking for a player to be dedicated to that role as Mike Thomas will be involved more in the offense.
| CRITERIA | YES | NO |
| Player Potential | X | |
| Expected to Start | X | |
| Good Value (Reach) | X | |
| Position of Need | X | |
| Fan Approval | X | |
| Final Grade | 5/5 | A |
Just for the sake of it, I have to include Kirk Morrison when doing my grade. He was acquired during the draft when the Jacksonville Jaguars were on the clock for their 4th round pick. The Jaguars, as we know, wound up trading that pick for linebacker Kirk Morrison and a 5th round pick, which became defensive end Austen Lane. Morrison should be an immediate starter at middle linebacker, allowing the Jaguars to keep Daryl Smith on the outside and push Justin Durant back outside to compete with Clint Ingram and Russell Allen. In effect, this trade potentially improved 3 positions: Pass rush, middle linebacker, and outside linebacker.
FINAL GRADE: 26/35
That gives us a 3.7 out of 5 overall, which equates to a B- or C+, however you see fit.