The Jaguars went into the draft looking to make a splash and that they did. They found some great depth and some strong rookies to add to this powerful Jaguars team. They went into the draft with 8 draft picks and ended up with 7 rookies. They would make a trade in the 5th round with the Steelers and give away their sixth round. Let's dive into these rookies.
The Jaguars had been targeting CB Jourdan Lewis and actually had him first on the board. The Bears ended up taking Lewis a few picks before the Jags, so we had to scramble and go through reports and video quick. We found Jarron Jones. Jones a 6'5 304 pound DT out of Notre Dame. He comes in as the 49th ranked DT in the league. He will not start right away but will find some time in between Jackson and Miller to see the field. He is a big body to fill up the running lane, and shows great power. He bull rushes QB's and we are more than excited to see him learn and develop into a great DT for the future years to come.
The Jaguars organization loves this kid. Davis is a big bruising back who didn't get a whole lot of attention as he was playing behind HB Nick Chubb. The Jaguars were paying attention. We had ordered all of his game tape and when we decided we wanted him, we found a trade partner for Ivory. Yeldon will still start, but expect to see this kid mixed in all year long. He has the power to run over anyone in his way and has a nose for the endzone!
QB Cooper Rush Central Michigan University
3rd Round Pick 30 (94th Overall)
This move surprised a lot of people. With their 2nd third round pick the Jags take a QB. This now gives them 4 QB's on the roster with Bortles, Allen, Glennon, and now Cooper. Preseason is going to prove a lot for the QB group. Rush did a great job at CMU breaking school records and gaining national attention at a school that doesn't receive much hype. He's a mobile QB with a good body size at 6'3 215 who can make plays with his feet and while on the run. He extends plays well. Needs some development with accuracy, but Bortles and our QB coach should be able to help with that. The Jaguars will only go into the season with 3 QB's so only time will tell if this kid makes the team or gets the practice squad for a year.
MLB Rex Dickson Marist College
4th Round Pick 30 (126th Overall)
Dickson was a pick we were surprised to get as late as we did. Marist doesn't get much national attention, but this 6'4 238 rookie helped get the Red Foxes talked about. One of the biggest LB's to come out of the school and broke numerous defensive records. He is a hard hitting MLB who is a true leader. He rallies his guys in late moments and brings the team together as a whole. Rex has a lot of work to do in preseason as this team is heavy in LB. He was selected because Posluszny and Skuta are aging and the Jags are looking to the future. However, if this kid continues his leadership and adapts well in preseason, he could very well start this year.
Chidobe. Awuzie. Everyone loves his name. Everyone loves this kid. Awuzie was scouted heavily from many organizations as a solid late CB pick up. The Jags were eyeing him since the moment they missed on Lewis. They had the 150th pick in the 5th round, and ended up trading up to 146 to ensure they draft him. They gave the Steelers pick 150 and 190 for 146. Awuzie sticks with his receiver and gives good initial shots off the line. He always plays hard every play, but will miss some tackles here and there. He looks to play either the dime or quarter CB this year. Jaguar Nation can't wait until this kid hits the field!
FS Quin Blanding Virginia 5th Round Pick 30 (158th Overall)
The Jags had 2 5th round picks. They took Awuzie with the first, and then they select Blanding out of Virginia with the 2nd. Everyone was surprised that he dropped that far, but the Jags snatched him up as soon as the pick came available. Blanding is one of the best players UVA has seen in a long time! Blanding is a big, hard hitting safety. Standing at 6'2 205 he is a threat to jar the ball loose when coming up to make the tackle. He can also sneak back and snag a ball or 2 when needed. He is an all around player who will develop nicely in this Jaguars defense.
DT Derrick Nnadi Florida State University
7th Round Pick 30 (222nd Overall)
Nnadi was the last pick in the 2017 NFL draft for the Jaguars. The 6'1 312 pound DT out of FSU. The 2nd DT taken in the draft this year, it is obvious the Jags wanted to work on stopping the run. He has a nose for the ball and tackles well. He also shakes off blocks to get into the backfield. He will need some work on his moves, but that will get better in time as he faces off against offensive lineman in the NFL. Most likely a practice squad player unless he shows us something special in preseason!
Here is your 2017 Jaguars draft class! Like we said before there is a lot of great depth here and a lot to look forward to! Be sure to check all of these guys out in action in the preseason! Who will make the team? Who will be confined to the practice squad? It will be some good football as these battles play out! Get excited Jaguar Nation! The next season is here!!!
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