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We’re just over a week away from the beginning of the 2017 NFL Draft, and that means that the rumors, speculation, and mock drafts are coming in hot and heavy. The latest mock draft comes from Cris Collinsworth over at Pro Football Focus, and he has the Jaguars using the fourth overall pick on a player whose name has not been mentioned too often at that spot.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars
This pick comes down to whether Tom Coughlin and company are sold on Blake Bortles. Coughlin loves playmaking, physical tight ends, so Alabama’s O.J. Howard has to be considered, despite the Jaguars picking up Mychal Rivera from the Raiders. An offensive linemen or a pass-rusher like Tennessee’s Derrick Barnett also would fit, but I’m taking my first big swing here and going with Deshaun Watson at quarterback. Bortles has some mechanical issues that slow his release time; he may still make it in the NFL, but Jacksonville needs proven leadership with a history of winning in the toughest moments. Watson is a risky pick, but just feels like the kind of dynamic playmaker this fan base is crying out for. Watson has a much tighter release than Bortles, a great understanding of the back-shoulder concept (and would have the receivers in Jacksonville to make it work), reads defenses well, and is a committed pocket-passer despite his ability to move. He’s a little like Dallas’ Dak Prescott in that regard. This probably never happens, but I like Watson here.
PFF Draft Pass Stat: Ranked third in the draft class with an adjusted completion percentage of 76.1 percent and second in the draft class in adjusted completion percentage of 60.0 percent on passes thrown in the 21-to-30-yard range.
You can use the link above to check out the rest of the mock, as well as see who the first three picks off the board were.
Well, this would certainly be a bold selection. I don’t think the logic is too far off, as Coughlin was reportedly not the biggest Bortles fan, and there’s been a lot of smoke surrounding the Jaguars and quarterbacks lately. Is there a legitimate fire causing that smoke? We will have to wait until next week to see. In the mean time, how would you feel if the Jags selected the Clemson passer with the 4th overall pick?