Re-Drafting the Jacksonville Jaguars 2016 NFL Draft

Half of the Jaguars’ 2016 draft picks were great. The others? Not so much.

The Jaguars’ first three picks of the 2016 NFL Draft were exceptional picks. The rest didn’t have much of an impact on the team. In this article, we’re going to re-draft the Jaguar’s picks from 2016 for fun. For the sake of this project, we’re going to dismiss the fact of the toxic environment within the franchise that drove a few key stars out of Jacksonville.

With the 5th overall pick, the Jaguars select CB Jalen Ramsey…

Selecting Jalen Ramsey with the fifth overall selection was the right choice for the Jaguars. They drastically needed help in the secondary and Ramsey was one of the top evaluated corners in recent years. In his full three seasons in Jacksonville, he started 48 games, 169 solo tackles, and nine interceptions. In 2018, his last full season with the Jaguars, he only allowed a 54% completion percentage. Ramsey earned First-team All-Pro in 2017 and was elected to the Pro Bowl in 2017, 2018, and 2019.

With the 36th overall pick, the Jaguars select LB Myles Jack…

Myles Jack had the talent of a first-round draft pick but dropped into the second round over concerns about his knee injury, for the right reasons. He didn’t have much of an impact in his rookie year and was moved back and forth between middle linebacker and outside linebacker. Through his first four seasons and the six games this season that he has played, he has 233 solo tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 15 quarterback hits, 6.5 sacks, and three interceptions.

The good news is the Jaguars have been able to keep Jack around. In 2019, he signed a four-year $57 million contract extension with $33 million guaranteed. His success this season can be easily attributed to his position change as the WILL linebacker (weak-side). Jack, even with an injury-plagued season, is carrying the Jaguars defense and will continue to do so for a long time as long as they keep him locked down.