Draftees the Jaguars regret ignoring in favor of Laviska Shenault Jr. in 2020

The Jaguars could've drafted Jalen Hurts instead of Laviska Shenault Jr. in 2020

Before the Jaguars drafted Trevor Lawrence in 2021, they had a hard time finding stability behind center. It wasn't for a lack of effort, though. In 2010, they selected Blaine Gabbert 10th overall. They then took Blake Bortles third overall in 2014. After seeing enough of the BOAT, they signed Nick Foles to a four-year deal worth $88 million.

Unfortunately, signing Foles didn't go the way Jacksonville envisioned. Not only was he ineffective but also suffered a clavicle injury that sidelined him for weeks. The silver lining is that his absence paved the way for Gardner Minshew, who took the NFL by storm in his rookie season.

Minshew showed enough promise in 2019 that he was given a chance to compete for the starting job long-term. However, he wasn't able to seize it. By the end of 2020, he had been benched in favor of Mike Glennon. Having clinched the first overall selection, the Jags set their sights on Lawrence, but things might've played out differently if they had taken Jalen Hurts instead of Laviska Shenault.

The Philadelphia Eagles drafted Hurts because they wanted to have insurance in case then-starter Carson Wentz suffered an injury. Wentz wasn't thrilled Philly used such a high pick on a quarterback but given his injury history, it made sense. They ultimately traded Wentz in 2021 and rolled with Hurts, who was a big reason they made the Super Bowl in 2022.

Looking back, drafting Hurts and later choosing him over Wentz was the right call, and it's fair to wonder how things would've played out if he had landed in Jacksonville. Perhaps the Oklahoma product would've flashed enough to make the Jags think he was the answer at quarterback. Heck, they might've won a few more games in 2020 and ended with a lower pick the following year.

More Jaguars analysis here: