There’s alot of over-reactions these days.
Like franchising an OT makes Hutch to Jags a certainty.
Like getting a third tier safety with injury issues means Hamilton is off our board.
Like Allan Robinson’s from Detroit so he’s going to give us a big break and sign here.
This draft is as unpredictable as they come. If I gambled, I’d take some players with long odds going in the top 5.
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Willis
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Not sure I agree with your comment on the OT’s from previous drafts. The only two I’d comfortably put ahead of these guys are Sewell and Wirfs with a maybe for Wills. The rest of those guys, Slater included, would be ranked after Ekwonu on my list for sure. Neal is arguable.
Well Wirfs went after Willis, Becton and Thomas, so whatever our personal evaluations it’s clear the league felt differently. Personally I had Wirfs 3rd, behind Thomas and Willis, but they were very tightly bunched… and all a tier above Neal, Ekwonu and Cross.
Ekwonu is an elite run blocker but a below average run blocker and that makes me very nervous. You make your bread with pass-blocking in the NFL nowadays (despite everyone loving the maulers), and some guys just can’t learn it. Ereck Flowers, Greg Robinson, etc… those guys were awesome run blockers and everyone assumed they’d just come around on pass protection and they never did, and instead they got QB after QB killed. And the thing is, we have no idea whether he’ll come around or not. Maybe he does, maybe he doesn’t, but the fact that it’s a weakness right now makes his floor low, IMO, and his bust potential high.
Touche, good sir. Excellent point. I should never underestimate the lionization…
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Jags running interference on themselves? I mean they have the #1 pick for crying out loud.
More likely, its the goofy time and they are somehow someway angling to get us or another team to trade up.
Its gonna be Icky, then we shuffle our draft board and take Hutch
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um how does this work out? "Ekwonu is an Elite run blocker…next breath? “but a below average run blocker.” I’m lost ! 
The notion that the Jags possess an un-tradable pick has made it’s way into multiple media outlets.
To me, if Baalke is picking based on optics, the easy choice is an OT. In the world of IT there used to be an old saying “nobody gets fired for buying blue (IBM)”. In the world of football, I’d say OT is IBM.
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I like this line. Its too bad we’ve already done that (not that I don’t like Sewell, but its too bad we can’t just take a blue chip OT and call it a day).
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Fortunately for us (maybe), public opinion isn’t going to weigh in our decision. Baalke has battle scars that our guys don’t yet have.
They want to help their qb? Take london wr at 1OA
If he’s sensitive to the national rhetoric, his picks will be influenced by it…and they’ll be picking in the top 3 a lot, until he gets replaced.
Sure am glad we have out guys in the front offices.
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Right but it’s no secret Baalke sucks, at this point he has to prove why he should keep the job. And to be honest if the national pressure/optics makes him choose Hutchinson over Walker, then it probably will save it. He should give a big thanks to public pressure.
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Oh, I agree. I just see where it will bite him in the ass more often than not.
Breaking it into a children’s book for Baalke…
See Brad research.
See Brad trust scouts.
See Brad trust competent team of decision makers.
See Brad pick based on observations of competent professionals.
See Brad build perennial playoff team.
Be a Brad.
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To me the the future success of the Jags rests on whether they can protect their biggest asset - Lawrence. He’s the sole reason the Jags are not regarded as a glorified college team, and why that rebuild may not be the long term kind. I understand franchising a middle of the road OT eliminates the need in the eyes of the media… but I’m not so sure that really solves anything moving forward for that franchise. If their strategy is to just sign the highest priced available OL every year, then fine, but they have a great chance to take a guy at #1 that can be the foundation of protecting Lawrence.
Even if Hutch becomes a 10-12 sacks a year type of DE, but Lawrence doesn’t fully develop due to inconsistencies along the OL… people will look at this draft pick and say it was a “good one,” but still wonder why it’s a 4-7 win team despite having a franchise QB. I would love to trade it if I were the Jags too, but if not, I’d personally be hard pressed to pass on taking the best OL on my board.
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If I were to participate in the draft contest, my picks would be predicated on Jacksonville doing exactly that, building around their greatest asset.
The colts fixed their offense line… too late for Andrew Luck. Jags need to draft oline multiple times in this draft
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