Myles Jack, the Jaguars boldest offseason move, returns to practice

On display for the first time since being drafted, Myles Jack is finally on the field and ready to show the Jaguars they made the right move in boldly taking the UCLA product.

When many predicted Myles Jack would be a focal point of the Jacksonville Jaguars offseason a few months ago, nobody would’ve guessed it would be partly due to a draft day fall that saw him tumble into the second round. He won’t soon forget what happened on draft day, but Jack is focused and finally able to get on the field and fight for playing time.

Even though he was in play in the first round, drafting Jack after his fall to the second round was a calculated risk – he could be outstanding right away but he might only play a few years. General manager David Caldwell considered the risk more than worth it.

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Mike Sando over at ESPN thinks drafting Myles Jack was

the boldest move the team made

this offseason:

"The move: Drafting Myles JackSignificant injury concerns explained Jack’s fall from certain top-10 overall selection to second-round draft choice. The Jaguars, desperate for front-line talent on defense, could not resist taking a chance. It was part of the NFL’s most dramatic overhaul for 2016. The Jaguars’ aggressive moves on defense might need to pay off quickly for ownership to remain as patient and measured as it has been in recent seasons. Much could hinge on whether Jack’s knee problems limit his production."

Bold or not, the move to get Jack signals the team’s awareness of their need to add speed to the defense. He’ll take a while to get up to speed, but Jack looked good in drills on Tuesday afternoon.

Jack is starting the offseason as the backup middle linebacker, but it’ll be shocking if he doesn’t make it onto the field right away as a rotational linebacker or “big” safety. Either way, it’ll be exciting to see him on the field this week and later on when training camp starts.