2016 NFL Draft: Jacksonville Jaguars’ class third best?
By Luke Sims
The 2016 NFL Draft is in the books and the Jacksonville Jaguars came away winners, but how does their 2016 class stack up against others?
Gil Brandt took a stab at ranking the 2016 NFL Draft classes and placed the Jacksonville Jaguars firmly at third overall. For fans of the team this will immediately jump out as a bit of an oddity, especially with the talent the Jags secured in rounds one and two.
And yet it’s tough to argue when the Jags draft class was so incredibly good and they did come away significantly better than they were before. Third overall is quite impressive, really.
What may irk fans more is that the Tennessee Titans came away with the top spot. Brandt’s logic is tough to fault, however, especially when he breaks down that the team four of the first 45 picks. The Titans were able to accumulate a higher volume of top talent than other teams because of their trades. Their odds of success are better, even if only half of the picks pan out.
Turning back to the Jags’ selections, it’s tough to get any better than landing Jalen Ramsey and Myles Jack in the first two rounds. Where the division begins is in round three when the Jags selected pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue (which Pro Football Focus calls their worst pick) which Brandt gave the Jags just 22 points for in his assessment. Sheldon Day in the fourth round is generally regarded as an excellent selection.
The primary takeaway, though, is that no matter how the draft has been (prematurely) measured, the Jags are coming away winners. The 2016 draft class was a significant influx of talent for a team that desperately needs to prove it can win.
On the whole, no matter how the Jags performed on paper in relation to others before a single snap has been played, they got what they needed out of the 2016 NFL Draft. For now, the means one of the top draft classes.
We’ll have to see how it all pans out when the rookies strap on the pads and helmets, lace up the cleats, and get after each other. In four years’ time we may look back and realize that even with the multitude of to picks, the Tennessee Titans didn’t do as well as many anticipated and the Jacksonville Jaguars are still winners.
Next: The Jacksonville Jaguars are changing the narrative
I’m biased, but I’d take the Jags any day.