Jacksonville Jaguars 2014 NFL Draft: Caldwell’s Top 5
By Daniel Lago
Nov 23, 2013; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) looks to pass against the Memphis Tigers during the second quarter at Papa Johns Cardinal Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
In an effort to reach out and show some transparency, the Jacksonville Jaguars held a fan forum on Thursday night and had general manager David Caldwell make an appearance. Deep into the heat of draft season, it was nice to see the proverbial “brains” of the franchise come out and talk to the fans. Caldwell had plenty of things to say in response to fan questions, including some generic responses about whether or not they plan on drafting a quarterback.
"“Our coaches will get involved here after the (February 19-25 NFL Scouting) Combine (in Indianapolis). We’ve got workouts, and our hope is that if one presents himself, we want to draft him.”– GM David Caldwell"
Additionally, Caldwell did not rule out trading down. Obviously a good GM wouldn’t rule out any scenario and certainly wouldn’t tip his hand so early in the process, but it was interesting to hear the general agreement among his staff about the top prospects.
"“There’s a consensus here,” he said with a laugh. “We have a good idea who our Top 5 guys might be, but that’s going to differ from team to team. It’s hard to get a consensus among your own building, and the whole league.”– GM David Caldwell"
There are probably some scouts still clamoring for one of their guys to climb a little higher on the big board, but it’s nice to hear that there seems to be a consensus among the people that matter. With only the combine and pro days still ahead of us, there likely isn’t going to be too much happening that could change his top 5 outside of an injury. Caldwell is apparently constructing his big board almost entirely on college tape and that’s a good thing.
Even after the draft we won’t know what Caldwell’s top 5 was, but here’s my guess on how it looks right now.
- Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina
- Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville
- Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M
- Khalil Mack, Buffalo
- Blake Bortles, UCF
-Daniel Lago
Yell at me on Twitter @dlago89