Justin Blackmon Pick Reaction
By Luke Sims
Justin Blackmon will be the best thing for the Jaguars over the next few years.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it draft analysts!
Blackmon is an immediate upgrade over almost every wide receiver on the Jaguars Roster. Mike Thomas is a gifted slot receiver, but he isn’t big bodied enough to outplay corners on the outside. Laurent Robinson is a great number two but there was still a major hole at the number one spot.
Blackmon fills that hole. Not only does he fill that hole, but his skills will spill over out of that hole and buoy the whole offense. The whole offense will become better with the talent of Blackmon on the outside. He forces the attention, if not dedicated coverage, of multiple defensive players. Hopefully that will come in the form of double coverage, freeing up room for Robinson and Thomas to make plays, as well as bring players away from the “box” to free up room for Maurice Jones-Drew to run. Not to mention the substantial help he will provide to Blaine Gabbert!
OSU’s Blackmon will be a major benefit to the Jaguars and will make the team suddenly in competition with the high powered offense of the Houston Texans. Andre Johnson and Justin Blackmon will bring more star power and respect for the passing game to the division and will automatically draw more interest to the small market of Jacksonville.
This move is better than any that most people were expecting from the Jags. The trade up was unanticipated until right before the draft began, but it was a brilliant tactical strategy by Gene Smith to smokescreen everyone and the exact man who he wanted.
This is an A grade move from Gene Smith and confirms his brilliance as a solid drafter.
– Luke N. Sims