Jaguars 2014 NFL Draft – Covet and Avoid: QB
Jaguars 2014 NFL Draft – Covet and Avoid: QB Johnny Manziel. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
It is less than a week before the 2014 NFL Draft and the Jaguars have a lot to figure out. They have multiple people they pay tons of money to that evaluate talent for unlimited players from every college, big and small. I sit on my couch and have to lick the cheetos dust from my fingers so I don’t stain my laptop keyboard. Regardless, I have been studying game films, stats, scouting reports, combines, & pro days. Most importantly, I’ve followed my (ample) gut. Through all of this, I have completed a list of players at every position that I either covet (I want, I want, I WANT!!!) or wish for the Jags to avoid (EWWWW!). With time running short, I want to get this out. I pray that I might cause someone in power to rethink a pick to make or run away from.
Please review my other “Covet and Avoid” articles – QB, RB, WR, TE & OL, DL, LB, and DB.
Let’s start with the most important position, the quarterback.
QB COVET LIST: (in no particular order)
- Johnny Manziel – Forget the height issues. Forget the Heisman. Forget the supposed increase in ticket sales. “Johnny Football” is the RG3 of this draft. He may not have the ideal size, have the best mechanics, or possess the strongest arm. But he has three things that can’t be taught. That is heart, improvisation skills, and leadership. I like my QB to be cocky too. Manziel will be the most exciting QB in the NFL next year by a longshot.
- AJ McCarron – He’s a winner (three national championships, Maxwell & Johnny Unitas Awards for NCAA best QB). He has good size (6-3, 220 lbs). He has great mechanics and better than advertised arm strength (anyone who saw the combine or his pro day). Finally, he could be available in the 3rd round so he is a bargain.
- Aaron Murray – He’s has been a starter his entire career at Georgia, compiling a successful record in the competitive SEC. While smaller than the ideal NFL QB, he compares to Drew Brees & Russell Wilson in height, but also testing very high in his mental development and his grasp of offensive knowledge. He has run about as close to an NFL offense as there is in college football and every indication is that he has capably recovered from his knee injury. I like winners.
QB AVOID LIST:
- Teddy Bridgewater – He’s had some good games. He shows skills and arm strength that would translate to the next level. He has the ideal size and mobility to avoid big NFL defenses. But there is something in his eyes. I don’t see a winner. I see an NFL QB but not a franchise QB. I see another Geno Smith-type player, whose facial expression nor demeanor changes when he struggles. I like for my leader to get upset with himself when he is failing. I have been saying this the whole offseason. The combination of how he comes off in interviews, his wonderlic score, and his pro day is causing teams to come closer to my thinking.
- Tom Savage – This guy could end up being a great QB one day. He supposedly has all the intangibles. My question is why didn’t it translate on the field. I saw him look like a deer in headlights when he played FSU. I looked at his numbers and they are underwhelming to say the least. In my opinion, I’ve seen the Jags get burned by a guy who came out of nowhere and dazzled the scouts leading up to the draft (Matt Jones). We need a QB who has proven his mettle in battle, not in shorts.
- Logan Thomas – See all I said about Savage. The same applies here. We need a QB. We don’t need a project. If we get a real franchise QB early in the draft and then want to risk a Savage or Thomas, then I might get on board.
See you when I give my list of RBs.
Thanks for the read…Michael McDonald.
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