Jacksonville Jaguars more than just a quarterback away from contention

The Jacksonville Jaguars need a franchise QB, but that’s just the start.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have lost 13 consecutive games and are currently in play for the first overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. There are still two games left in the schedule, so they could still give the pick back to the New York Jets, who had it for most of the season. However, even if the ‘Jags’ end up with the second overall pick, it’s believed they will choose a quarterback. Nevertheless, they will need more than just a signal-caller away if they want to turn things around and becoming a playoff contender again.

It’s true that teams can quickly rebuild and go from being a bottom to the top in just one season. Most of the time, those organizations acquire a young quarterback to lead the turnaround. However, a franchise quarterback is just one variable in the equation, and drafting one with the first overall pick or even the Top 5 doesn’t guarantee success.

In fact, taking a quarterback early in the draft doesn’t transform bad franchises. Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk points out that of the NFL’s eight current division leaders, none of them took their quarterback with the first overall pick, and not even in the Top 5. He goes on to highlight the fact that those teams that drafted a signal-caller in the first round were already playoff contenders, so even if the Jaguars get the quarterback they want in the selection process, they will need other things in order to succeed.