While the starting crew, Derek Cox and Rashean Mathis, are top level players the rest of the unit leaves some to be desired.  William Middleton outplayed nickel corner Drew Coleman when he was on the field creating a redundancy and resulting in Coleman’s cutting this offseason.  Aaron Ross has been brought in to help ease the strain on the gap between Mathis and Cox and the rest of the team.  Whoever loses the Mathis-Ross battle will be the nickel corner with Middleton and co. taking over the four through six spots.

So, how has this reflected on the team?  Last year’s woes certainly weren’t enough to bump them too far down were they?

Apparently they were.

Make No Mistake, Mathis Still has Game! Source: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

According to SB Nation the Jaguars rank 19th in the league.  As an avid Jaguars fan and somebody who writes fairly regularly on the Jaguars, I understand where Mr. Van Bibber was coming from.  He took the injuries that happened last year combined with a common viewpoint that the Jaguars aren’t a good football team and the team’s terrible record and put it all together.  He noted that Pro Football Focus only gave William Middleton and Derek Cox a positive rating on the season.

But this is a defense that was 8th in the league in passing yards allowed, 9th in passing TDs allowed, and 13th in interceptions.  All with a meager 31 sacks!  The secondary play as a whole wasn’t so bad that they were 19th in the league.  The corners were slaughtered some days, but their play was dictated in large part by the play of the rest of the defense.

While I look at the numbers and see how much better the defense would have been with even better cornerback play, I see a unit that did its job very well – even when scraping the bottom of the barrel for talent.  Despite the very good numbers for a bunch of untested players playing at the premium pro level of American Football the corners ranked 19th.  SB Nation needs to get this right next time.

In case you were wondering who (ridiculously) was ranked above the Jaguars: Dallas Cowboys at #4 (23rd in passing yards allowed), New York Giants – #11 (29th), Arizona Cardinals – #14 (17th), Buffalo Bills – #15 (19th), Chicago Bears – #17 (28th).

Curiously, some of the units “best player” as listed by SB Nation is a rookie.  This is true for the Buffalo Bills’ Stephon Gilmore.  What does that say about their entire unit?  Think about it.

The only other team that got more screwed in these ranking than the Jags were the Browns who ranked 2nd in passing yards allowed and 4th in TDs allowed but still ended up at #16 on the list.  At least Joe Haden got the recognition he deserved.  Once again, mark my words, the Browns will be good in 2012.

- Luke N. Sims

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However, assuming the Jaguars don’t trade back (which is a possibility), there are really only a few prospects that would be worth drafting at #7.

Whether you believe Luke Kuechly to be the man or Quinton Coples really will be worth it, these are who I believe Gene Smith would spent pick #7 on.

1. Melvin Ingram, DE - Ingram is the best pass rusher in the draft.  He doesn’t have prototypical size like Quinton Coples, but he uses his body well and can be very innovative in how he gets to the passer.  He can be used as a 3-4 rush linebacker and claims he can play as a 4-3 end as well.  Based on what I’ve seen, I’m inclined to believe him.  Ingram also has a high motor which is something Gene Smith loves and will probably be a major factor in selecting whomever the Jags choose at pick #7.
2. Stephon Gilmore, CB – A lot of analysts would think this pick is a reach at #7.  It is, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t the right move.  The Jaguars secondary could really use some depth and Gilmore could be the future for the Jaguars at cornerback.  If he is the highest player on GM Gene’s board, he will be taken.  Smith has no qualms about grabbing the man he wants when he can have him.  Don’t be shocked if Gilmore gets nabbed as early as top ten here.
3. Michael Floyd, WR - Floyd has some great skills.  He’s big, he’s fast, and he controls his body super well.  To top it off, he plays a major position of need for the Jaguars.  While he has rocketed up many draft boards lately, I’m not certain if he really does have top 10 talent despite his top talent at his position.  While GM Gene will take a hard look at Floyd, I don’t think he’ll be the highest rated player on Smith’s board, especially if Ingram and Gilmore are still around.
4. Justin Blackmon, WR - Blackmon is the belle of the ball for offensive players in this draft.  Luck and RGIII are already wrapped up so it’s really a competition between Richardson and Blackmon as to who will make the most offensive impact for the team that drafts them.  I think Blackmon is that man.  He has said all the right things, his play in college speaks for himself, and he knows how to make a quarterback look good.  The only problem with this pick? He won’t be available at number seven unless the Rams suddenly decide they’re happy with their receiving corps or the Dolphins jump up to get Tannehill.
5. Quinton Coples, DE - I’m throwing Coples on as a “last resort” type at number seven.  While  a lot of information can be garnered in the build up to the draft, it isn’t shocking to see teams stick with earlier draft boards that ignore hype or massive criticism.  I’m calling it now: Coples will be a very good defensive end in the NFL.  So why won’t the Jags take him?  He has shown he doesn’t always try on every play.  He’s also shown that his attitude isn’t the best.  And Gene Smith does not want a locker room cancer.  However, if the Jags don’t take him and he turns out to be the Julius Peppers that the Jags have always wanted, the entire football world will question whomever the Jags took instead.

 Of course, knowing Gene Smith, he’ll trade all of his picks for a player everyone thought was going in the fifth round and grab him at #21 in the first and be happy with a high motor, decent player.

Ok, a little sarcastic, but we all know that Gene Smith will do whatever he wants, criticism be damned.

Who do you think is the most possible player for the Jags to pick at #7?

In Gene We Trust,

- Luke N. Sims

However, I believe that the Jaguars may just be thinking cornerback at this point in the draft.

A lot of mocks suddenly have Stephon Gilmore out of South Carolina rocketing up draft boards.  The kid was always a solid prospect, but suddenly he’s looking like the next best thing after Morris Claiborne.

I’m not going to elaborate on how great the Jaguars’ defense was last year.  It was a very solid unit with plenty of good contributors on it.  In fact, I think they’re cornerback depth and a defensive end away from being the top unit in all of football.  And to be honest, I think cornerback depth is the greater need.

The defensive end position is mediocre at best out of Jacksonville.  We celebrate the underrated Jeremy Mincey’s eight sacks.  It’s not a number to scoff at, but it isn’t something that makes other teams’ eyes pop when they’re scheming against the defense.  But even with a constant rotation of defensive ends opposite Mincey on the line, the Jaguars managed a very respectable 6th in total defense.  I attribute a large number of that to defensive coordinator Mel Tucker’s schemes.  But the defense could have been even better with a little bit of cornerback depth.

Rather than starting players signed right off the street at defensive end, the Jaguars assembled a cast of players that were ok, but could solidly contribute throughout the season.  It seemed to work.  Not spectacularly, but the line still did its job.

William Middleton simply is not the answer. Source: Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

In contrast, the Jags did not plan on having two massive holes at starting cornerback and had to fight to find people to throw into the mix.  The depth here was a bigger problem than a lack of pass rush.  Without good cornerbacks, the opposing quarterback could throw with ease, even if the defensive ends were getting to him, because his receiver could outplay the defender for the ball.

Fortunately for us Jags fans, the front office identified this as a need and have begun to shore up the position.  The signing of Aaron Ross provides very good depth (or a new starting cornerback) at one of the spots.  I think the Jags will put the other spot on lockdown as well with a highly talented corner at number seven.  With the character concerns of Janoris Jenkins, the sheer ability of Morris Claiborne, and the solid size and intelligence with which Stephon Gilmore plays, I think that the most probable pick will be a corner.

That corner may as well be Gilmore.

Let the defensive ends battle it out in a heavy rotation again for the season.  We may even find a diamond in the rough in the later rounds.  It’ll be the same strategy as last year, and it appears to have contributed to a solid defense.  Who knows, Aaron Kampman may suddenly be super competitive again.

Don’t be shocked my fellow Jags fans if the team takes a solid corner off the board first.  It may just be worth it.

- Luke N. Sims