MVN - Most Valuable Network

Ideal Mock Draft for Jacksonville

It is truly a great time of year. Mel Kiper and Todd McShay are yelling at the top of their lungs to see who is the most misinformed, mock drafts are popping up all over and Jaguars fans are talking about every trade scenario possible. I’ve already talked about trade scenarios, although I’m going to stoop as low as suggesting that the Jags should trade for Chad Johnson, so I guess I now have a choice to act misinformed or to do my own mock draft. Seeing as being misinformed could get me in some trouble, I’ve decided to do my own mock draft. I did a full two rounds with Charlie over at Jagnation earlier this week, and seeing as how taxing that was, I’m just going to do a seven round draft for only the Jaguars. This will be a realistic draft with some luck happening, but seeing as this is an ideal draft, some luck does need to occur, but don’t worry, nothing crazy.

Round 1, 26th overall pick- Phillip Merling, Defensive End, Clemson- Merling, a junior, was originally projected to be a top 10-15 pick, and while he can still go that high, it appears that Merling is falling and could easily reach the Jaguars at 26. Merling fits the bill of a typical Jacksonville defensive end, being stout against the run and the pass. At 276 pounds, Merling posses good size and he has been timed in the 4.6’s, so he certainly as the skills to make an immediate impact. If Merling is around by the low 20’s, look for the Jags to make a bid to trade up to attain him.

Alternatives: With there being a good chance that Merling will be off the board before Jacksonville selects, there are several other ways the jags could go. The best offensive linemen would likely be gone, so the D-line will still be a priority. Trevor Laws of Notre Dame, who is flying up the boards, could be an option, as could Quentin Groves of Auburn. Laws seems to be a popular pick for Jacksonville, and Groves would certainly contribute as a pass-rusher.

Round 2, 58th pick- Tyrell Johnson , Strong Safety, Arkansas State- Jacksonville needs some secondary help given the fact that Gerald Sensabaugh has yet to play a full season as a starter. Sensabaugh could be a stud but in case he isn’t Johnson would be a great fit. Johnson is projected as a mid to late second rounder, right where the Jaguars select, so there is a good chance he’s around when the Jags pick. At 6’0”, 207 lbs, Johnson combines solid size, but after the combine, he showed he had the strength (27 bench-press reps) to be an NFL strong safety.

Alternatives: An offensive lineman such as Sam Baker of USC or Anthony Collins of Kansas, but Johnson would be too good to pass up here. Also, if Jacksonville doesn’t attain an end in the first round or via trade, a player like Lawrence Jackson of USC would be ideal in round two.

Round 3, 71st pick- Dre Moore Defensive Tackle, Maryland- The Jaguars need some depth at defensive tackle, and while Moore doesn’t fit the bill as the regular massive Jacksonville tackles (6’4”, 305 lbs.) he has great strength (31 bench-press reps) and has a very quick first step, running a 4.8 40. He had 63 tackles and 6 sacks for the Terps last season and would be a nice compliment to the massive John Henderson up front.

Alternatives:  Depending on what happens, Jacksonville could go offensive line, defensive line or safety. S Tom Zbikowski of Notre Dame is an option given his experience, as is tackle Jeremy Zuttah from Rutgers. Jeremy Thompson of Wake Forest is a quick end who could also have Jacksonville’s attention.

Round 3, 89th pick- Kevin Smith, Running Back, UCF- With Fred Taylor on the wrong side of 30 and Maurice Jones-Drew not yet proving himself as an every down back, the Jaguars might be searching for a back to add depth and eventually be a key contributor. I have a little bias toward Smith but trust me, he is a stud. Smith runs a little high and doesn’t have amazing breakaway speed, but everything else is there. He has amazing vision and is a terrific cutback runner who can push a pile, much in the mold of Fred Taylor or Travis Henry. Smith rushed for the second most yards in NCAA history for the Knights last season.

Alternatives: Bruce Davis of UCLA is projected as a pass rush end, and S Josh Barret of Arizona could be an absolute stud if he falls here and if the Jags don’t take care of their secondary by now.

Round 4, pick 27- Oniel Cousins, Offensive Line, UTEP- Cousins could go anywhere from round 2 to round 5, and he posses great agility for a big man. Cousins could play multiple possisions on the offensive line and could eventually replace Khalif Barnes at left tackle if the Jags part ways with him by the end of 2008.

Alternatives: Jason Jones, a DE from Eastern Michigan, is moving up the boards and could be a great pass rusher here. John Greco, a guard from Toledo, is a versatile lineman who would also fill a need and would represent great value.

Round 5, pick 10- Marcus Griffin, Safety, Texas- At 5’10”, 201 lbs, Griffin has the size to play either safety position. Griffin was a productive player for the Longhorns but a weak combine has hurt his stock. Griffin could be a special teams stud at the very least and could find a niche in nickel packages.

Alternatives: QB Dennis Dixon of Oregon is coming off a major knee injury, which has hurt his stock, but he has the physical tools to be a good player one day. He needs to add some beef and ahs hard time learning the playbook in the pass, but he represents value as a project player.

Round 5, pick 25- Josh Johnson, Quarterback, San Diego- In case you can’t tell, I’m predicting the Jaguars take a QB late in the draft. If a guy like Brian Brohm falls to the Jags in round three it’ll be hard to pass up, but Smith offers as a great project towards the end of the draft. Johnson might be gone by here, but if he is available anywhere in round 5, look for the Jags to take a chance. Although he played low level competition, Johnson threw 41 TDs to just one INT. This accuracy is key in Jacksonville’s offense, and Johnson’s mobility is also a plus, and he reminds me somewhat of David Garrard, and could learn from him over the next several years.

Alternatives: Colt Brennan of Hawaii is another popular option for Jacksonville, and I honestly think the Jags take him. Brennan had an illustrious collegiate career in the rainbow state, but a lack of arm strength and pocket presence might hinder his career. He has potential and is worth the risk…remember last year when drafts had him projected as a first rounder going to Jacksonville?

Round 5, pick 27- Phillip Wheeler, Linebacker, Georgia- This isn’t a huge need, but Wheeler is terrific as a blitzing linebacker, which fits Greg Williams’ scheme. He is a little thin and has a weird body type, and while he might never be a starter in the NFL, Wheeler can straight up make a plays, which should earn him a  role somewhere in the league.

Alternative: A big offensive lineman who could be a project such as Tony Hills of Texas is an option for the Jags.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 21st, 2008 at 4:32 pm and is filed under Jaguars' Journal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.