The Jacksonville Jaguars could be on the market for a backup quarterback if Mac Jones leaves in free agency. They've already started to do their homework, meeting with former Texas standout Quinn Ewers at the NFL Scouting Combine. In the aftermath, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated revealed what the former Longhorn wanted clubs to know ahead of the draft.
Breer shared several nuggets from the Scouting Combine and revealed Ewer's message to NFL clubs who are thinking about drafting him.
"I just wanted to give them an idea of who I am, because I'm sure they hear a lot of different things about me—and most of it's hearsay or just not true," Ewers said via Breer. "I wanted them to know about the resiliency I show in-game, the mental toughness I have to go through all that stuff I went through the three years I was at Texas, and be back-to-back playoff contenders, and in the semifinals, and continue to lead my team .... and continue to be there for my teammates day in and day out."
As Breer noted, Ewers found himself in a recruiting controversy because he committed to Southlake Carroll and Ohio State before going to Texas in order to get a seven-figure NIL deal.
On top of that, the Southlake, Texas native dealt with injuries last year that hindered his performance and hurt his draft stock. On the other hand, he was the top college recruit of the 2022 class and flashed high-end potential with the Longhorns.
While Ewers lacks elite arm strength, he has most of the traits you want at the quarterback position, and if he manages to build consistency, he could develop into a viable starter in the NFL. Heading into the draft, he has a mid-round grade, but the scarcity at the position could prompt teams to draft him as early as Round 2.
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The Jaguars would be thrilled if Quinn Ewers falls to them
There's no doubt that Quinn Ewers would be a great developmental quarterback in Duval. That said, their odds of landing him aren't particularly high when you take into account that he would be a backup for the Jaguars but would probably start for any of the six other teams that met with him at the NFL Scouting Combine.
It's also worth noting that the Jags are doing due diligence. That doesn't mean that they'll be targeting Ewers in the draft. In fact, it's common practice for clubs to meet with prospects at the combine and find out as much intel as they can.
But for the sake of the argument, let's say Ewers is available at No. 3. Jacksonville shouldn't hesitate to use a pick on him. After all, they have two thirds and two fourths, so they could afford to invest one at the quarterback position. And if they landed him, they would have a dependable backup behind Trevor Lawrence at an affordable rate.
The bottom line is that Quinn Ewers' past controversies shouldn't hurt his draft stock, and he would be a great addition to the Jaguars quarterback room if he is available when they're on the clock in Round 3.
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