Jaguars: 5 biggest draft busts of the Dave Caldwell era

No. 2 Jaguars biggest bust of the Dave Caldwell era – TJ Yeldon, RB

On paper, using the 36th overall pick in the 2015 draft on T.J. Yeldon wasn’t a bad idea. Instead of reaching for a running back in the first round, the Jags waited until the second to land the Alabama product. Of course, the decision in practice didn’t turn out to be a good one.

Yeldon had an adequate rookie campaign, toting the rock 182 times for 740 yards with two touchdowns. However, that was his most productive season in the NFL, and by 2017, he had become an afterthought in the Jags’ running back room. The fact that Dave Caldwell kept drafting running backs the subsequent years showed the team’s lack of confidence in Yeldon.

Looking back, it’s fair to wonder what was the Jags’ thought process at the time, or maybe they simply made a mistake and instead of moving on, they kept Yeldon on the roster until the expiration of his rookie year.

All things considered, Yeldon wasn’t a bad NFL player. More than anything, he was unremarkable, which is what you expect from a late-round selection, not the 36th overall. During his sixth-year career, he had 492 carries for 2,005 yards with six touchdowns, which wouldn’t be a bad output coming from a backup running back. Sure, he wasn’t able to cut it in the NFL but the Jags also deserve some of the blame for drafting in the second round, and not in the fifth or sixth.