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This morning, B.J. Kissel from Arrowhead Pride made quite the argument for the Kansas City Chiefs to take West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith with the first overall selection in the 2013 NFL Draft. That is, of course, assuming that the Chiefs don't beat the Colts or Broncos in the last two weeks and hand the selection over to the Jaguars. Because if that were the case, the Jaguars should absolutely be the ones to pull the trigger and take Smith.
If you'd like to read why Smith is the top quarterback in the draft and why he's deserving of the first selection, Kissel does a great job of breaking that down and BCC contributor Eric Stoner has made solid arguments in that regard as well. My argument is simply that the Jaguars can not afford to pass on a top quarterback prospect if given the opportunity.
The Chiefs did not select a single quarterback in the draft between 1998-2004 and 2007-2010. The Jaguars had a similar refusal to go after quarterback prospects, not taking one from 2004-2010. Hmm...why am I not shocked that the Chiefs and Jaguars are two teams that haven't had an elite quarterback in the last decade and are selecting in the top two of the 2013 NFL Draft?
Even teams like the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers, two teams with Super Bowl MVP quarterbacks, haven't gone for extended periods of time without taking a passer in the last decade. The Jaguars have been woefully content with not swinging at the opportunity to upgrade the most important position in the NFL: Quarterback.
As Fivus Viener said in a comment here on BCC: "If quarterback is a need, it's your most pressing need." In the post where that comment was posted, the question was asked; "Do the Jaguars have to take a QB?" Well...no they don't if the Jaguars want the team to be a multi-year rebuild. A new general manager could make the decision to address the defense and other Jaguars issues in the 2013 offseason, leaving quarterback to be addressed in a future draft/offseason.
However, if the Jaguars hope to be a competitor in the 2013 season, the answer is a resounding yes. And if the Jaguars swing and miss at taking a quarterback, like they appear to have done with Blaine Gabbert, then swing again.