Jacksonville Jaguars 2014 NFL Draft: Two Quarterbacks
By Daniel Lago
Aug 31, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; Eastern Illinois Panthers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) on the sidelines during the second half against the San Diego State Aztecs at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan made headlines last week when he made comments about possibly drafting two quarterbacks in the upcoming NFL Draft.
"“We have to get better at that [position],”“I think there’s no mystery that we’re going to be taking a quarterback and maybe two”– Shad Khan"
The Jaguars have a ton of needs, but far and away their most pressing issue is the quarterback position. Obviously Khan is aware of this and knows they will address the position. Now the question is whether or not the Jaguars plan on using a first round pick on a quarterback or wait until the later rounds and draft two guys.
While one can use any number of reasons to justify one interpretation of his comments, I see only two logical scenarios:
- The Jaguars select a quarterback in the first round and resign Chad Henne or another veteran quarterback. If you spend a first round pick on a quarterback he essentially has to start week 1. If that’s the case, then you want a veteran backing him up and showing him the ropes. Henne seems to have a good rapport with the coaching staff and the team. Having two rookie quarterbacks on the roster with such a young team probably isn’t the best strategy.
- If the Jaguars pass on a quarterback in the first round, then they should double up in the later rounds and see if they can hit on at least one of two quarterbacks. The likelihood of finding a franchise quarterback after the first round is not very good, so they might as well double their chances.
I don’t think Caldwell will spend another pick on a QB if they take a guy in the first round when there are so many other spots on the roster than need an injection of youth and talent.
In scenario 1, my ideal choice would be Teddy Bridgewater. Scenario 2 is trickier because it will rely on how the draft shakes out, but I wouldn’t mind a combo of David Fales and Jimmy Garoppolo. Head coach Gus Bradley got a good look at both guys at the Senior Bowl and will likely have some useful input.
With the draft still a few months away, we’ll have plenty of time to speculate on how the Jaguars might approach addressing the most important position.
-Daniel Lago
Yell at me on Twitter @dlago89