We’re counting up to the #12 pick where we’ll extend the options and open up the debate for Seattle. 82% of the votes sent Justin Blackmon to the Rams, well clear of second placed Riley Reiff (9%). Whatever combination occurs in the top six, there’s unlikely to be too many surprises. Things become a little less obvious from #7 onwards.
The Jaguars are difficult to figure out. GM Gene Smith received a new contract and appeared to be receiving the backing of the team’s new owner, yet rumours persist that Smith may leave after the draft. Shahid Khan instructed his staff to negotiate with Denver for Tim Tebow, a move instigated purely by ownership. Just twelve months after trading up for Blaine Gabbert, there is no way Smith had any desire to trade for Tebow. So who’s making the decisions here?
If it’s Smith, expect one of two things. Either he’ll take someone to support his investment in Gabbert (receiver or offensive tackle), or a high motor defensive lineman to improve the team’s pass rush. If it’s Khan, he’ll probably look for the flashiest player who can help sell tickets. The move for Tebow screamed ticket sales, pure and simple.
There may be a happy medium – drafting a receiver to aid Gabbert, while getting a player who will help sell tickets. Justin Blackmon would be ideal but he’s off the board at #6. Swapping places with Tampa Bay or Cleveland is a possibility, but we’re not projecting trades in this mock. Michael Floyd is the next man in line, but will Smith buy into the character issues that have dogged the talented receiver at Notre Dame?
There are Smith and Khan picks on the defense too. Smith may prefer the solid, high motor types in Courtney Upshaw and Melvin Ingram. Khan may prefer the eye-popping physical potential of Quinton Coples. So who’s the pick?
(polls)
Take coples, then get A WR from this deep class in the second.
JAX D: 6th yards allowed
JAX O: 32nd yards gained
They go O and take Floyd. It’s a no brainer. O is the low hanging fruit and O puts folks in the stands. And…they invested a lot in Gabbert by trading up to grab him. They at least need to surround him with playmakers and see what they have.
I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if they, with a meddling new owner, reach for WR Stephen Hill.
Personally, I would never take a WR this high unless it’s an elite, elite prospect (Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitz, AJ Green – all top 5 picks). WR have one of the lower success rates in the 1st round (~40% vs. 60% for corners). Further, WR take longer to develop so you’re also much more unlikely to see immediate results.
That said, if I were to predict how another drafts, I could see the Jaguars taking Floyd due to the need for “weapons” around Gabbert to see if he’s the real deal.
I voted for Floyd. If they’re gonna see what Gabbert’s got, they’ve gotta at least give him something to work with.
Lot’s of good receivers available in round two. Have to take that into account. Would you rather have pass rusher + Alshon Jeffery or Michael Floyd and one of the R2 DE’s?
I had to vote for Coples. Smith has shown time and time again (except last year), that he is committed to Defense in rd 1. The owner puts in his say and they agree on Coples. Top 5 talent never falls past a risk taking team.
I voted Coples – if he does overcome his motivational issues could be a beast.
That mustache is epic!
To me, the issue is not who may or may not be available in RD2, when 32 other teams have made unknown picks. The question, therefore, is: which player is the most likely to make the biggest impact on our franchise at #7. Coples and Floyd are mirrors of each other in that they both have amazing ability, but other issues are potentially going to get them drafted much lower than they should. In the end, I think the pick would be Floyd, simply b/c he has the ability to greatly benefit Jacksonville’s investment in their franchise QB, and in today’s NFL, it’s all about what you can do for your QB.
I would LOVE to be able to grow a moustache like that.
Pretty much every mock I’ve seen lately has put Coples there. The SBN writer for the Jags even called Coples to Jacksonville “cliche, boring” though given the context of his article I think the word he was searching for was banal.
I hope this mock remains in line with others early, so I voted Coples even though obviously it would be nice for him to reach our pick for the sake of having options.
Why can’t we pick a DT like Poe or Cox? Seems like if you think defense you might want to add a good DT. We should at least get the choice.
Jacksonville’s DTs are solid, but upgradable. I actually think Knighton is a big reason they are strong in the middle, and ALualu was a 1st rd pick.
AkHawk, what is wrong with the combo of Mebane, Branch and Jones? Does adding Poe or Cox really give us that difference maker? I think we’d both be hard pressed to say yes. They aren’t going to provide that pass rush we need, so it’s really not in our best interest to take a D tackle.
DE
OLB
RB.
Three biggest issues with this team right now.
A decent offensive coordinator could improve that offence. So a WR is not necessarily the answer. But even if Gabbert isn’t the answer they might take who they feel is the best WR.
Floyd for his physical attributes and measurable he showed at the combine as well as working without a great QB, isn’t getting much love. That’s more then interesting to me. I am aware of his off field problems but we’ve all seen guys go #1 with a ton of issues or go early.
Logic says put Coples here but gut says a WR…
If Poe was worth a first he’d of had more then one sack last season.
@ Rob moustache comment.. lOLZ! haha very true indeed
I agree with Barry, logic says Coples, gut says Floyd. I went with my gut.
Gene Smith will not draft Coples or Floyd. His mission over the past couple years has been to rid the Jags of anyone with any character issues whatsoever. Just recently he lifted the tender on defensive tackle Nate Collins when Collins was arrested on a charge of a small possession of marijuana. When he announced the signing of WR Laurent Robinson in free agency, he underscored the fact that the 26-year-old was married and had a stable family life. See:
http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/513351/vito-stellino/2012-03-17/gene-smith-puts-emphasis-getting-high-character-players
Floyd in 1, Branch in 2 = same thing I want for Seattle. 🙂
Coples doesn’t have character issues. Wanting to avoid injury before entering the draft doesn’t make him a bad person. He also went to a party once. That’s pretty much it for Coples. If that qualifies as character concerns then the league is making Tim Ruskell look like Al Davis.
I’d love for them to take Floyd, but I don’t see them reaching just to get a WR. Plenty of ways to address the position later.
I agree with Steve from Spain. Gene Smith will probably look at Floyd and Coples, but I ultimately think he will pick Melvin Ingram or trade back and pick someone like Kendall Wright. Smith typically likes clean, hardworking players, which takes out both Floyd and Coples. Smith also tends to like good leaders, highlighting Ingram once again. I could be wrong, and forgive me if i am, but in Smith’s first 3 drafts (Monroe, Alualu, Gabbert) he has never drafted a player he has brought in for an official workout in the first round. It could be a coincidence, but Coples and Mercilus were brought in for a private workout so it could be a smokescreen.
Kip, you’re right that in Cople’s case it’s a different type of character issue than in Floyd’s. I’m certainly not saying Coples is a bad person. When you see how far Crick’s stock has tumbled because of an injury, I can’t blame Coples for having been cautious to avoid getting hurt.
Still, like it or not, Coples most definitely has a character issue, one that many FOs take far more seriously than a college student’s drink and doob. When an established pro like Deion Sanders starts making “business decisions,” you can live with that, but when a guy’s performance on the field is already noticeably affected by his reluctance to risk injury before he even enters the draft, it’s a major red flag. Conservative GMs don’t like seeing a guy letting his team down just to save his draft stock. And if you reward a guy for dogging it once, he’ll come to expect the same treatment in the future, at least that’s how I figure Gene Smith will see things.
Sorry to have lumped Floyd and Coples together in the previous post. I didn’t mean to suggest that the two were comparable in their transgressions.