Back in 2018, the Jacksonville Jaguars were fresh off an appearance in the AFC Championship and seemed poised to become a perennial contender. However, they ended up winning just finishing 5-11 and moving on from quarterback Blake Bortles less than a year after giving him a big contract extension. Looking back, it's easy to see what went wrong.
The Jags shouldn't have given Bortles a new deal. Also, Tom Coughlin wasn't a good fit to be the club's vice president of player personnel. On top of that, then-general manager Dave Caldwell failed to replenish the roster, often making questionable decisions.
One of his biggest blunders was drafting defensive tackle Taven Bryan in 2018 instead of taking one of many playmakers still on the board at No. 29, including quarterback Lamar Jackson.
And that's the thing, even if you leave Jackson aside, there were many players still on the board that could have helped the Jaguars, including the next five:
Player 5 the Jaguars should've drafted instead of Taven Bryan: Braden Smith, RT
Right tackle wasn't at the top of the Jaguars' needs in 2018 and Braden Smith had mostly lined up at guard in college but the Indianapolis Colts are surely glad they drafted the former Auburn Tiger 37th overall, as he's become a mainstay of their offensive line.
Smith has been highly consistent for Indy, allowing just 21 sacks in 72 career games and posting a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 73.0 in each of the last five years. Not surprisingly, the Colts rewarded him with a four-year deal worth $72.4 million in 2021.
Had the Jaguars drafted Smith in 2018, they wouldn't have needed to take Jawan Taylor the following year. Taylor had a breakout season in 2022 but it took him a bit to put it all together. Meanwhile, Smith hit his stride right off the bat.
Player 4 the Jaguars should've drafted instead of Taven Bryan: Harold Landry III
The Jags excelled at getting after the quarterback in 2017, registering 55 sacks as a team. On top of that, they ranked second in the league in points allowed that year, so heading into the 2018 draft, bolstering ther pass rush wasn't a priority. However, they still fortified their trenches with Taven Bryan.
But if they had really wanted to fortify their defensive front, they should have instead opted for outside linebacker Harold Landry III, who's turned out to be a pretty good player for the division rival Tennessee Titans.
Landry needed time to hit his stride but he progressively got better and has become a mainstay of the Titans' defensive front. Back in 2021, he tallied 12 sacks and it seemed like he was going to be even better in 2022 but an ACL tear forced him to miss the whole season.
While there's no timeline for his potential return, head coach Mike Vrabel says Landry is "looking great" from a physical standpoint", so it's fair to assume that he should be back at some point of the 2023 season. Imagine if the Jaguars had gone with Landry instead of Bryan in 2018.
They would have had someone to fill the void left by Yannick Ngakoue's and Calais Campbell's eventual departures. Similarly, they would have had a pretty stout pass-rush duo if they had taken outside linebacker Josh Allen the following year.
Player 3 the Jaguars should've drafted instead of Taven Bryan: Christian Kirk, WR
After opting not to re-sign wide receiver Allen Robinson in 2018, the Jaguars' brass had to replace him and they did precisely that when they took DJ Chark Jr. in the second round of the 2018 draft. But what if they had taken Christian Kirk in the previous round? Even better, what if they had selected two receivers with back-to-back picks?
Having released Allen Hurns in 2018, the Jaguars' offense would have surely benefited from an infusion of talent. Kirk and Chark would have provided that boost. Kirk ultimately landed with the Arizona Cardinals at No. 47 and went on to put up respectable numbers as a rookie, specifically 43 receptions for 590 yards with three touchdowns. He steadily got better and came close to the 1,000-yard mark in his last season in the desert.
By now, you know the story. The Jaguars gave the former Texas A&M Auggie a four-year deal worth $72 million last offseason and were heavily scrutinized for it. Mainly because Kirk hadn't had more than 1,000 yards in a season and it was uncertain how he would fare as a No. 1 receiver full-time. He answered both questions by catching 84 passes for 1,1108 yards with eight touchdowns as the main target on the Jaguars' offense last year.
Maybe Kirk wouldn't have gotten a second contract in Jacksonville if he had been drafted by the Jaguars, but there's no doubt he would have been Blake Bortles and later Gardner Minshew a pretty good weapon in their arsenal.
Player 2 the Jaguars should've drafted instead of Taven Bryan: Mike Gesicki, TE
If you've been an avid reader of the Black and Teal, thank you. Also, you've probably noticed that former general manager Dave Caldwell has often been the subject of criticism. But it's all deserved because he had put together a playoff caliber in 2017 only to spent the rest of his tenure dismantling it.
Back in 2018, Caldwell chose to move on from Marcedes Lewis, one of the most productive tight ends in team history. This wouldn't have necessarily been a bad thing if he had had a replacement in place but he didn't.
To nobody's surprise, there was a revolving door at the tight end position following Lewis' departure and Jacksonville only put an end to it when they signed Evan Engram last year. When the Jaguars were on the clock in the first round of the 2018 draft, only one tight end had been taken, Hayden Hurst at No. 25 by the Baltimore Ravens, so they could have stayed put at No. 29 and chosen Mike Gesicki, who's developed into a pretty good receiving threat.
Gesicki went to the Miami Dolphins at No. 42 and was a key cog on their offense from 2019-2021. Sure, he had a down season in 2022, reeling in 362 yards with five touchdowns, his lowest input since his rookie year. Then again, he wasn't a good fit in head coach Mike McDaniel's system and he should be able to bounce back with the New England Patriots next season.
Player 1 the Jaguars should've drafted instead of Taven Bryan: Shaquille Leonard, LB
Colts general manager Chris Ballard is likely entering the 2023 season on the hot seat after failing to find a long-term answer at the quarterback position. Anthony Richardson might very well turn out to be it but if he isn't, Ballard might get kicked to the curb in the not-too-distant future. It wasn't always like that though. Back in 2018, he earned a reputation as an outstanding talent evaluator after coming out of the draft with several building blocks.
Besides All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson and right tackle Braden Smith, Ballard also found linebacker Shaquille Leonard. In fact, Indy picked him right before Smith. It's true that the 2022 season wasn't particularly kind to Leonard but he was dealing with a never issue that limited his impact throughout most of the year. To make matters worse, the former South Carolina State Bulldog then suffered a concussion and was shut down for the season.
Leonard has had lots of time to heal and it wouldn't be shocking to see him reclaim his place as one of the top linebackers in the league. It's easy to forget it now but made the Pro Bowl three times and got as many First-Team All-Pro designations in his first four NFL seasons.
Imagine if the Jaguars had paired Leonard with Myles Jack. In 2018, Jack was still at the top of his game, so he and Leonard could have formed one of the most dynamic linebacker tandems in the league.