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Blake Bortles can ‘lift his team to the Super Bowl someday’ according to Gil Brandt

By Daniel Lago

Nov 19, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (5) throws a pass in the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 19, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (5) throws a pass in the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jacksonville Jaguars fans have a lot to be excited about heading into 2016 – the offense was vastly improved in 2015 and potential young stars have emerged at the skill positions. The Jaguars have two legitimate receivers in Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns for the first time since Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell donned the Black and Teal, T.J. Yeldon now has a proper complement in the backfield with the arrival of Chris Ivory, and Julius Thomas should play a bigger role in the offense as the move tight end in the coming years.

Nothing is more important than the quarterback however and the Jaguars appear to have found one in Blake Bortles. After a horrific rookie season, at least from a statistical perspective, Bortles bounced back and put up franchise-records in terms of touchdown passes and passing yards in his sophomore season. If he keeps improving at such a steep rate, Bortles could quickly ascend into the top tier of passers in the NFL.

Former personnel man and current NFL analyst Gil Brandt is a huge fan of Bortles, recently ranking him 4th among the top 5 picks in the last 4 drafts.

"4) Blake Bortles, QB, Jacksonville JaguarsDrafted: Third overall by the Jaguars in 2014.In his second pro season, Bortles more than doubled his passing touchdowns (from 11 in 2014 to 35 in 2015) and greatly improved his yards-per-attempt figure (6.1 to 7.3) and passer rating (69.5 to 88.2). He’s been sacked a lot (106 times in two seasons), but he’d have been sacked even more if he weren’t as mobile as he is. He’s athletic and accurate, and he throws a good, easy-to-catch ball. Yes, he led the NFL in picks with 18 in 2015, but he’ll cut down on those as he gains experience. He’s the kind of quarterback who will be able to lift his team to the Super Bowl someday."

That last line will put a smile on your face as a Jaguars fan, even mentioning the Super Bowl in the same breath as Jacksonville is a significant change from recent years. Bortles does have a chance to be special, especially if the talent around him continues to improve, but he’s got plenty of things to work on to get to that level.

With all the focus on the defense in the offseason, it’s easy to forgot just how massive the leap was that Bortles took from year 1 to year 2. Hopefully that trend continues and the Jaguars cement themselves as one of the top offenses in the NFL in 2016 and beyond.

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