Even though teams spent months studying and analyzing prospects, the NFL Draft is an inexact science and even the clubs with the best track record have their share fair of misses. This is why the Jacksonville Jaguars were consistently bad throughout the 2010s with general manager Dave Caldwell leading the front office.
Although Caldwell did have a few hits, his flops were too many to overcome and he was given the boot in 2020. With Trent Baalke taking his place, the Jags have done a better job of replenishing the roster over the last three years. Having said that, Baalke hasn't been perfect. Just like his predecessor, he's made a few questionable picks. Similarly, both drafted players that could have an impact for the Jaguars but were let go for different reasons.
So which players the Jaguars wish they could have back? Here are four that come to mind.
No. 4 draft pick the Jacksonville Jaguars would like back: Jay Tufele
The Jaguars have poured resources into the defensive line over the last three years. Besides signing and later re-signing Roy Robertson-Harris, they inked defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi last offseason.
Similarly, the top brass rewarded 2020 third-round pick DaVon Hamilton with a three-year deal worth $34.5 million just before the draft but the case could be made that they would have had another solid piece in the trenches if they had kept Jay Tufele around instead of parting ways with him before the start of the 2022 season.
Moving on from Tufele was a bit surprising since he had just been drafted in 2021. Maybe the former USC Trojan wasn't a fit in defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell's scheme but he became a solid piece of the Cincinnati Bengals rotation last season, logging 128 defensive snaps and 15 total tackles. While those aren't eye-popping numbers, Tufele is still developing and would have been a solid depth piece in Jacksonville playing on his rookie deal.
No. 3 draft pick the Jacksonville Jaguars would like back: Josh Oliver
The Jags haven't historically prioritized the tight end position but they have had some good players don the Black and Teal. Marcedes Lewis was one of the best blockers in the league but and solid pass catcher. Similarly, Kyle Brady held several team records until Evan Engram broke them last year.
Another solid tight end that spent with the Jaguars was Josh Oliver, a third-round pick in the 2019 draft. The difference between him and Lewis or Brady is that the team's brass moved up too soon from him. While it's true that injuries limited him to just four games in his first two NFL seasons, he developed into a solid blocker for the Baltimore Ravens after he was traded for a conditional seventh-round pick.
At the time of the trade, the Jags were holding a firesale and trying to stockpile draft picks but that doesn't justify giving up on Oliver after just two seasons. The Minnesota Vikings recognized his value and gave him a three-year deal worth $21 million, which isn't bad for a player that has carved a niche as a blocking specialist.
The silver lining of parting ways with Oliver is that the Jaguars have paid more attention to the tight end position. Last season, they signed Engram and used the franchise tag on him after a breakout season. Similarly, they used a second-round pick in this year's draft on Branton "Not-Stephen" Strange, who gives Jacksonville a dynamic duo at tight end in 2023.
No. 2 draft pick the Jacksonville Jaguars would like back: Quincy Williams
Here's another member of the Jaguars' 2019 draft class that has gone on to thrive with another fact. In fact, you could argue that linebacker Quincy Williams has even been more successful than Josh Oliver and one of the best picks Jacksonville made that year.
Williams was a Week 1 starter in his rookie season but he was eventually placed on the Injured Reserve after 12 games. He missed time with a core injury the following season and was later a healthy scratch. Then, Urban Meyer took over and Jacksonville waived the Murray State product.
Not long after, the New York Jets, not wanting to pass up the opportunity, scooped Williams off waivers and he's gone on to become a mainstay of their defense, logging 216 total tackles, five sacks, and three forced fumbles over the last three years.
The Jets realized how valuable Williams was and rewarded him with a three-year contract worth $18 million earlier this season. Although the Jags have done a good job of replenishing their linebacker corps over the last two years and it's now a position of strength, they wouldn't probably mind having Williams. In fact, it's fair to wonder if the Jaguars would have given Foyesade Oluokun a top-market deal if Williams had been around.
Oluokun had a huge impact both on and off the field last year, so paying him wasn't necessarily a bad investment. Then again, Williams just needed time to develop, which is what he got in New York.
No. 1 draft pick the Jacksonville Jaguars would like back: Yannick Ngakoue
The case could be made that cornerback Jalen Ramsey should have made this list but Jaguars fans are divided on him, so he didn't. Although the team's brass mishandled contract negotiations, he didn't address the situation with grace, which is why he was shipped to the Los Angeles Rams.
Another player that might not have approached contract talks with the Jaguars the right way is defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, who publicly feuded with Tony Khan. Like Ramsey, he was part of Jacksonville's 2016 class and a key cog on the 2017 team that reached the AFC Championship. Unlike Ramsey, there was (maybe there still is) a slim chance he returns to Jacksonville.
Earlier this year, Michael DiRocco of ESPN reported that Ngakoue wouldn't be opposed to a reunion with the Jags. Although there haven't been any other reports since then, the Maryland product remains unsigned, so he could still agree to a deal in the upcoming months.
All things considered, the Jaguars should have Ngakoue on speed dial. Although it feels like forever since he was shipped out of Jacksonville, he's just 28 and has been highly productive wherever he's played. In four seasons with the Jags, he registered 37.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles. In the three years since then, he's had 27.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles.
The Jags surely want to see what they have on their young players but they shouldn't rule out the chance of adding a player of Ngakoue's caliber to bolster their pass rush rotation.