2016 NFL Draft: Jacksonville Jaguars select Jonathan Woodard

The Jacksonville Jaguars apparently believe you can’t have too many pass rushers, as they drafted their 4th defensive end in the 7th round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

Some fans jokingly, or maybe not, said the Jacksonville Jaguars should spend every selection in the 2016 NFL Draft on defensive players.

Well, they didn’t achieve that feat but they got damn close. The Jaguars finished up their draft class by selecting yet another defensive end, their 3rd of the draft, in the 7th round – Jonathan Woodard of Central Arkansas.

One of the few small school prospects ever drafted by general manager David Caldwell, Woodard has some very nice measurables that indicate he might be a long term replacement for Tyson Alualu at the “big end” spot.

Here’s a quick scouting report on Woodard from Joshua Zimmer of NGSC Sports:

"Woodard’s size and athleticism should be intriguing for most scouts across the NFL. He has the frame and arm length to develop into a quality role player, primarily as a pass rusher, yet has the game experience of being versatile within the front four. He could be a key rusher in some pressure packages due to his change of direction ability of twists and line games. I will be surprised if Woodard isn’t drafted. Draft Projection: Late Fifth-Mid Sixth Round"

It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of the draft, but it’s worth remembering that Woodard is a 7th round pick, coming out of a small school, into a defensive line room that suddenly looks extremely crowded. The likelihood of him making an impact is fairly small, and that’s perfectly OK with a 7th round pick. The Jaguars wanted to get younger on defense and they did just that this weekend to the tune 6 defenders. We’ll do a formal review soon, but this draft certainly seems like a success right now.