Is Brandon Linder the Best Player on the Jaguars?

Brandon Linder had a hell of a rookie season playing guard for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2014. The rookie offensive lineman proved to be the most consistent player on a unit that was struggling for the entire season. Further, he still has a high ceiling that isn’t yet reached. He should continue to improve as a stalwart offensive lineman over the next few seasons, proving general manager Dave Caldwell was smart to bring him in.

But an excellent rookie campaign doesn’t mean he’s the best player on the Jaguars.

Well, according to the NFL rankings over at NFL Mocks, Linder is. Erik Lambert suggests that Linder is the best player on the Jaguars’ roster and that the Jaguars’ best player is the worst best player in the league (if that makes sense). Here’s what he had to say:

"Who? Granted, this is not a name that will register to casual fans but Brandon Linder showed in his rookie season he’s the real deal. His pass blocking stood out right away as a major bright spot on an otherwise rough offensive line. That stability is something they can build around moving forward and will do lots to keep quarterback Blake Bortles comfortable in the pocket. In time Linder may be surpassed by a teammate on this list, but for now it’s where he belongs."

You can’t fault the logic that Linder is important for Blake Bortles and that he was the best player on the offensive line last season, but to say he is the best player on the whole team is a stretch…well kind of. There are only a handful of players that did their jobs adequately for the Jaguars last season and Linder is certainly among them. Also among them may be wide receiver Allen Robinson, running back Denard Robinson, linebacker Paul Posluszny, defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks, and strong safety Johnathan Cyprien. Robinson and Poz missed parts of the season due to injury, Robinson was inconsistent, and Cyprien’s weaknesses were preyed upon as the other safety position essentially didn’t exist. Marks may have the most compelling case for being the best player to go against Linder.

I’m not saying Lambert is right, but the more I think about this, Brandon Linder does tend to shine in comparison to the other players on the roster.

What do you think? Who is the best player on the roster in your mind?

Next: How do Blake Bortles and Chad Henne Stack Up?

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