Jacksonville Jaguars: 30 greatest players in franchise history

• Pride of the Jaguars (2016)
• Franchise leader in receptions (862), receiving yards (12,287), touchdowns (67)
• 5x Pro Bowl (1997-01)
• 2x Second-Team All-Pro (1998-99)
• 1999 NFL receptions leader (116)
• Nine 1,000-yard receiving seasons

When it comes to hauling in passes, nobody did it better for long in Jacksonville than wide receiver Jimmy Smith. Despite being a second-round pick out of Jackson State in the 1992 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, Smith was looking like a bust before he arrived in North Florida in 1995.

Turns out a change of scenery proved to be exactly what Smith needed to showcase his star potential. With Mark Brunell slinging him the pigskin, Smith would go on to be far and away the most productive wide receiver in Jaguars history.

During his 11 years with the club, Smith made the Pro Bowl five times in a row from 1997 to 2001. He went over 1,000 receiving yards nine times in his Jaguars career. Simply put, he was a huge reason the Jaguars went to two AFC Championship Games in the late 1990s. The guy was an unbelievable receiving talent and is grossly underrated in the national football landscape all-time.

His best season with the Jaguars came in that historic 14-2 campaign in 1999 where he led the NFL in receptions with 116. Smith set a career-high in receiving yardage that fall with 1,636 to go along with his six touchdown receptions. He would make his second of two consecutive All-Pro second teams as well that season.

Along with reliable possession receiver Keenan McCardell, “Thunder and Lightning” formed one of the most formidable receiving tandems of their era. Smith made McCardell better and vice versa. No wonder both are members of the 10,000-yard receiving club.

Like McCardell, Smith would be a Super Bowl champion elsewhere and has yet to get his due as an all-time great wide receiver. Given that Smith played all of his prime in Jacksonville, and put up better numbers by the way, his case for Canton is a compelling one. Will he get there? Maybe one day?

Regardless, Smith is the best receiver in Jaguars history. He is the franchise leader in receptions (862), receiving yards (12,287) and receiving touchdowns (67). In 2016, Smith earned his rightful spot in the Pride of the Jaguars. He remains the most recent addition to that club in Jacksonville football lore.