Deshaun Watson to the Jacksonville Jaguars in another 2017 NFL Mock Draft

With the Jaguars not making any moves at the position in free agency, another analyst thinks they might address quarterback in the draft with Deshaun Watson.

Draft season is in full force which means it’s time for the annual debate on whether or not there’s a quarterback worth drafting early.

Each year we see “QB fear” set in – the worry that you could potentially torpedo a franchise’s viability in the coming years by investing in a quarterback who just isn’t very good. Ironically, the Jaguars may be in that very predicament as we speak depending on your personal assessment of Blake Bortles.

While all signs seem to point to the Jaguars rolling Blake out for another year to see if he can right the ship, some are thinking the Jaguars could pull the trigger on his replacement in the draft.

Danny Kelly over at the Ringer recently released his second mock draft of the offseason and he has Deshaun Watson as the first quarterback off the board… to the Jaguars at number 4.

"4. Jacksonville Jaguars: QB Deshaun Watson, Clemson"

"The general belief when Jacksonville hired Doug Marrone to replace Gus Bradley was that it was good news for Blake Bortles, but Marrone knows that his tenure in Jacksonville is tied to finding a top-tier quarterback to build his roster around. After three years, Bortles has yet to show many signs he’s that guy, and last year his struggles weren’t just on the field; they extended to practice and the film room. With Watson, the Jaguars get a player who shines everywhere Bortles does not: The former Clemson Tiger brings a dynamic dual-threat ability as both a passer and a runner, is an incredible sack-avoiding playmaker with outstanding leadership qualities, and a proven gamer who shows up at his best on the biggest stage. Concerns about his arm strength and downfield accuracy caused him to fall behind other quarterbacks in our last mock, but hard-to-ignore intangibles are exactly what Jacksonville’s been missing from its signal-caller."

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Pro Football Focus was the first to jump on the Watson to Jaguars train a few weeks ago, but it’s an idea that’s gained traction among our writers and Twitter as well.

Pivoting over to Kelly’s assessment, it’s sensible but to me it’s a bit of revisionist history in terms of Bortles not only as he currently stands but his evaluation coming out of college. He claims that Watson is everything Bortles isn’t, citing specifically the ability to run, leadership, and being a gamer on the big stage. Coming out of UCF, Bortles was known for his mobility and ability to create with his legs, and his “gamer” credentials were pretty high after he led UCF to a BCS Bowl victory.

Erroneous analysis aside, it’s becoming more popular to mock a quarterback like Watson to the Jaguars at number 4. Frankly, Watson is the only quarterback who makes sense that early for the Jaguars because he’s the only one with the experience to come in and start right away.

Still, I don’t see it happening – a running back seems more likely than a QB at 4.

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