Jacksonville Jaguars could follow the blueprint Bengals used in 2011’s draft

The Jacksonville Jaguars could follow the Bengals blueprint used in 2011.

Back in 2011, the Cincinnati Bengals held the fourth and 35th overall draft picks, and that year was filled with quarterback prospects so it would’ve made sense to draft one with the fourth overall. The Carolina Panthers chose Cam Newton with the first overall pick, but there were plenty of prospects still available.

The Bengals had the opportunity to draft Christian Ponder, Blaine Gabbert (who?), and Jacke Locker. Nevertheless, they chose Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green with the fourth overall pick and took quarterback Andy Dalton with the 35th selection. Looking back, the strategy worked and the Bengals found a pair of franchise players.

While Dalton and Green went on to thrive and became part of the Bengals offensive core for years, Locker, Gabbert, and Ponder flopped. The ‘Red Rifle’ was never a top echelon during his tenure in ‘Cincy’ but he wasn’t a liability either. Meanwhile, Green turned into a seven-time Pro Bowler.

More importantly, the Bengals were a perennial playoff team for a while and didn’t have to address the quarterback position until earlier this year when they drafted Joe Burrow out of LSU. It’s true Dalton’s ceiling was limited, but he certainly had a productive career in Cincinnati.

It’s equally true the team never won a postseason game with Dalton at the helm, but he wasn’t the sole reason behind the team’s inability to find success in the playoffs. If anything, that burden should fall on then Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, who couldn’t find the formula to get over the hump during his tenure in ‘Cincy’.