Jacksonville Jaguars: Best of their number one NFL draft choices all-time
By Kathy Clark
The Jacksonville Jaguars rookie mini camp began and fresh new faces are competing for roster spots on the Jacksonville Jaguars team. There are many hopes and dreams by and for these new players. However not all those dreams will come true. The most talked about rookie is our number one draft choice Taven Bryan.
Taven Bryan came to camp with high expectations. The Jacksonville Jaguars coaching staff has high expectations for him as well. That said we hope he will have a long and successful career as a Jaguar. Sadly we must remember that not all first round draft choices meet those expectations. The Jaguars’ first draft was in 1995. There have been 25 first round player selected( two in 1995). These are my choices for the best number one draft choices of all time.
First and above all the others stands Boselli as our greatest draft choice. To start, he played offensive tackle for 8 years in the NFL. His career sadly ended in his prime caused by injuries. But Boselli made the Pro Bowl from 1996-2000 and made first team All-Pro in 1997, 1998, and 1999. Finally, he was the first player selected to the Pride of the Jaguars. Many pundits stated that Boselli was the best offensive tackle of his era.
Second is Fred Taylor. To begin, Taylor played for the Jaguars from 1998-2010. He made the Pro Bowl in 2007. Indeed his stats speak for themselves. He had 1000 + yards rushing for 7 seasons. In addition, Taylor averaged 4+ yards per carry for 11 seasons. Also he caught 30+ passes in five of his NFL seasons. He is a member of the Pride of the Jaguars.
Lewis is my choice for number three because longevity means a lot. He played from 2006-2017 all for one team, the Jaguars. Lewis made the Pro Bowl in 2010 with 58 catches for 700 yards. Moreover, he played in almost every game during his career and blocked well in addition to catching passes.
Marcus Stroud and John Henderson
Without a doubt these two stalwarts on the D line became very successful NFL players. Stroud made the Pro Bowl three times and Henderson made the Pro Bowl two times. Many sports writers stated they were the best defensive tackle combo of their era. In fact, their nickname was Hurricane Henderstroud!
Although he only played three years as a Jaguar, he is still active in the NFL. Also he made the Pro Bowl two times. He rarely faced injuries in his career and had 8 interceptions for 115 yards in 2015. Despite not being a Jaguar he has a long and successful NFL career.
Eugene Monroe and Tyson Alualu
Finally Monroe and Alualu are very successful NFL players who made great contributions to the Jaguars during the years they played in Jacksonville. Monroe played 4 years for the Jags and was traded to the Ravens. At that time many thought he was the best player on the team. Alualu played 7 seasons for the Jags and is now a Steeler.
Conclusion and comments
To begin let me say that Jalen Ramsey and Leonard Fournette are off to a great start as first round draft choices. Not only that, it’s possible that Blake Bortles could join this stellar group if he continues to improve. Additionally there are people who would not agree with my choices of Reggie Nelson, Marcedes Lewis, and possibly Fred Taylor. However everyone can agree about Tony Boselli! I hope Taven Bryan will become a successful draft choice.