At this point of the off-season, most prospects are wrapping up their respective pro days. Today, Jake Locker wowed everyone and silenced critics with a stellar performance at the Washington pro day. Now, we have about a full month to debate who the Jaguars will pick with the 16th selection of the draft. Some analysts say Ponder's the guy. Now, their are rumblings that the Jaguars could take Locker. This is a fun time of the year. Let the speculation begin!
Yes, Jake Locker participated in Washington's pro day today. Yes, his arm looked very sharp, and he was hitting the receiver in stride and on target. No, that shouldn't make him the next great thing among scouts. Look, pro days aren't a big deal in terms of scouting. Game film takes precedence over all other forms of scouting. Personal workouts play big. The idea that he drastically improved his draft stock in one day is ridiculous.
Now that I have that out of my system, we can move on to the "which quarterback do we want today" game. My personal preference remains with Andy Dalton. I could say, "he has a Gene Smith guy look to him," but that would just make Alfie upset, and my goal isn't to give the editor here a heart attack. I like Dalton because he could potentially be a third round pick, and the Jaguars could get a blockbuster return from a third round guy. There won't be another draft so loaded with quarterbacks for a long, long time, and I think that this is the time to take one later.
Next lets address Blaine Gabbert. He won't be there at 16. If he is, I would expect the Jaguars to pick him, but it's just not going to happen. So, can we check that off our lists?
Let me look into that crystal ball for a minute. I can see the Jaguars drafting a defensive player in the first round. Will it be Ryan Kerrigan? I really don't know. Jake Locker may be available at 16, and I would hope the Jaguars would pick him up there if he was available. Outside of that, I don't see a reason for the Jaguars to take a quarterback in the first round. There are too many solid defenders that the Jaguars so desperately need. Gene Smith is a BAP, and I expect him to stay true to that. That's why it makes sense to me that a defender would end up at the top of the Jaguars' board when it is their turn to pick.