4 first-round mistakes that continue to haunt the Jacksonville Jaguars

1. DT Taven Bryan, 29th overall in 2018

Having a decent quarterback could give you the illusion that you no longer need to make changes at the position. But as the Kansas City Chiefs showed in 2017, you should never pass on the chance to make a switch if you think you can get better. That year, they had Alex Smith in the fold but didn't pass up the chance, and even traded up, to draft Patrick Mahomes. Seven years later, it's fair to say that they hit it out of the ballpark.

Although Smith was an above-average passer, he, nor anyone else for that matter, is in the same echelon as Mahomes, who's been a huge reason Kansas City has won three Super Bowls in the past five years. Meanwhile, the Jaguars ignored the position because they had Blake Bortles in the fold.

In their defense, there was hope Bortles could improve in 2017 but they knew what they had in him by 2018. That year, they had the 29th overall pick and one of the top quarterbacks in the class, Lamar Jackson, was still available. However, they took defensive tackle Taven Bryan instead.

Looking back, they could've had Jackson sit behind Bortles and give him the reins when he was ready. Instead, they got four underwhelming seasons from Bryan, who has shown he's nothing more than a rotational piece in stints with the Indianapolis Colts and the Cleveland Browns.

Even if the Jaguars hadn't drafted Jackson in 2018, they could've drafted players such as Harold Landry III, wide receiver Christian Kirk (that name sounds familiar), or safety Jessie Bates. They wouldn't have probably won the Super Bowl if they had selected any of them but the roster would at least be in a little better shape.

Here are more stories from Black & Teal: