Luke Joeckel’s struggles provide apt comparison to Jaguars
By Luke Sims
Luke Joeckel isn’t a bad left tackle but he isn’t particularly great either. The Week 17 loss to the Houston Texans highlighted his not-quite-there play and gives us a look deeper into the organization.
As far as symbols go, there’s no player more symbolic on the Jacksonville Jaguars roster than left tackle Luke Joeckel. He was the change the organization began preaching as soon as general manager Dave Caldwell and head coach Gus Bradley took over.
The first pick by Caldwell in his time as GM, Joeckel was brought in to replace stalwart left tackle Eugene Monroe. Monroe, who played just four games with the Jags before being traded in 2013, was an excellent left tackle, but as the Gene Smith picks were being ushered out the door, he was one of the first ones out.
Joeckel, the symbolic first pick under Caldwell, then shifted over from right tackle to left tackle and promptly broke his ankle. He only competed in five games for the entire season and there was a lot of uncertainty about what he could do, much like there was uncertainty about just what Caldwell and Bradley could do as they patched together a team of misfits and discarded players.
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Joeckel’s second season was one he played underweight (he didn’t manage to
until his third season) and with less experience than his 2013 NFL Draft peers. He was consistently bullied by the better pass rushers (and sometimes the not-so good ones) and, while there were flashes of progress, he just couldn’t quite make the progress we all wanted to see. The 2014 Jaguars also showed there was something there but didn’t quite get there.
2015 was supposed to be Luke Joeckel’s breakout season. A young, up and coming player who was finally at weight and finally seasoned enough to provide consistent play at one of the most important positions in football. He’s had some strong moments in 2015 but, like the play against the Houston Texans in Week 17, he also had some significant setbacks. He’s an average to above-average player, but surrendering five of eight sacks to the opposition essentially sums up the inconsistency.
…and that’s where the Jacksonville Jaguars find themselves right now.
Like Luke Joeckel, the Jaguars are now at a point where they can play average to above average football. They’ve hit some bumps along the way in their build up to this point and it’s definitely the high water mark for the franchise in the last six years, but they still aren’t “there” yet. And when this team is exposed, it’s a massive shift. You can look at Blake Bortles’ pick-sixes or botched secondary coverage, or even Joeckel’s sacks for an indication.
2015 wasn’t a good year for the Jacksonville Jaguars. It wasn’t anywhere near a great year. It was an okay year bordering on bad (especially when taken in the context of the last half decade). There will be struggle for them in the future, but it appears that the slow development of the team, highlighted by players like Joeckel, may finally pay off in the years to come.
More jaguars: Jacksonville Jaguars look lifeless and pathetic in loss to Texans
The Jacksonville Jaguars are poised for big things in 2016, even if 2015 doesn’t look all that pretty immediately following another loss to end the season. Let’s see if the players drafted to be cornerstones of this franchise can get us there.