The Jacksonville Jaguars have found several building blocks in the first and second rounds of the NFL Draft. However, their hit rate in later rounds hasn't been nearly as great. That said, they've run into a handful of draft gems every now and then.
So what's exactly a draft gem? More often than not, it's a late-round pick that either did more than expected or outperformed this draft slot. Undrafted free agents don't meet the criteria though, so you won't find Andrew Wingard, James Robinson, or Allen Hurns in the following ranking. Similarly, former Jaguars who flourished with other teams (Josh Oliver, Quincy Williams) won't pop up here. With this in mind, here are the Jags' five biggest draft gems in the last decade.
5. Logan Cooke, punter - Round 7, pick 247, 2018
Special teams don't get the spotlight unless they're very good... or bad, and if you think kickers don't get nearly as much praise as they deserve, punters have it even worse. Fortunately for the Jaguars, they haven't had to worry about the punter position since they took Logan Cooke in the seventh round of 2018.
What makes the Cooke selection stand out even more is that the rest of the Jaguars' 2018 draft class was dreadful. Sure, wide receiver DJ Chark Jr. made the Pro Bowl in his sophomore season but other than that, Jacksonville came out of the draft that year with a subpar haul, Cook notwithstanding.
If that wasn't enough to show Cook some love, how about the fact that he was the only Jaguar who got All-Pro votes in 2021, the year Urban Meyer turned the team upside down? And all it cost Jacksonville to have stability at punter was a measly late-round pick.
4. Antonio Johnson, safety - Round 5, pick 160, 2023
This is the Jaguars' most recent late-round gem. Expected to go in the first round in 2023, defensive back Antonio Johnson somehow slid to the fifth even though he didn't have any injury concerns or character red flags. Either way, the Jags couldn't pass up the chance to take the former Texas A&M Aggie, and so far, that's turned out to be a great decision.
The Jags wanted to keep Johnson at safety but it didn't take them long to give him snaps at nickel. This wasn't necessarily surprising because he played different positions in the defensive backfield for the Aggies. The Jacksonville coaching staff put that versatility to use right out of the gate, and he made the most of his opportunity. Unfortunately, a hamstring injury sidelined the East St. Louis native to start his rookie season.
But once he was able to contribute, Johnson went on to have an impact, getting more playing time and displacing veteran Tre Herndon as the primary nickel cornerback as the season progressed. He finished the year with two interceptions, one forced fumble, and three passes defensed.
When Jacksonville released veteran Rayshawn Jenkins in a cap-saving move, Johnson became the favorite to replace him, and head coach Doug Pederson confirmed he would be the starting safety next to Andre Cisco in 2024.
Looking back, Johnson would've probably wanted to be drafted earlier but he should be pleased with how things have played out. The only reason he didn't rank higher on this list is that last year was a limited sample, and he'll need to keep making strides to get a better spot.
3. Dede Westbrook, receiver - Round 4, pick 110, 2017
The Jaguars had success finding receivers in the later rounds of the draft. The downside is that most of them flashed but eventually disappeared. Of the bunch, Dede Westbrook might've been the best. A fourth-round pick in 2017, Westbrook got minimal playing time as a rookie but saw his workload increase in his sophomore campaign, hauling in 66 receptions for 717 yards and five touchdowns.
For a hot minute, it looked like Westbrook had a shot at becoming a solid WR3 in Jacksonville. In 2019, he once again caught 66 receptions but he wasn't nearly as productive under offensive coordinator John DeFilippo, averaging 10.0 yards per reception. Things didn't get any better the following year.
Westbrook suffered a shoulder injury in training camp and got bumped down the depth chart. He was a healthy scratch to start the 2020 season and was eventually placed on injured reserve with a torn ACL. When his rookie deal expired, the former Oklahoma standout followed wide receiver coach Keenan McCardell to the Minnesota Vikings but went on to have an unremarkable year, catching 10 receptions for just 68 yards.
Since the end of 2021, Westbrook hasn't played in a regular season, and it's hard to see him latching onto a team any time soon. Having said that, he came through when the Jags needed him, and it's fair to wonder how his stint in Jacksonville would've turned out if he had stayed healthy. For the time being, he gets recognition as one of their best findings in the later rounds of the draft.
2. Gardner Minshew, quarterback - Round 6, pick 178, 2019
The Jaguars finally pulled the plug on Blake Bortles in 2019. The only issue is that they failed to find an adequate replacement, let alone an upgrade. They signed Nick Foles that year but they didn't have many better options. Maybe if Foles had stayed healthy, there's a chance he would've given the Jags a spark but he hurt his clavicle early in the season and was gone after 2019. The silver lining is that his absence paved the way for Gardner Minshew to start.
It didn't take Minshew long to take the league by storm, making the Jaguars relevant and winning a few games along the way. He did enough in his rookie season to earn a shot at seizing the starting job long-term in 2020. Unfortunately, former general manager Dave Caldwell left the roster devoid of talent, which made it difficult for the mustachioed quarterback to win.
To make matters worse, Minshew dealt with an injury that hindered his performance and later had him benched. By the end of 2020, Jacksonville had clinched the first overall pick in the draft, and there was a 99.9 percent chance they were going to take Trevor Lawrence with it, casting doubt on Minshew's future with the team.
Once the Jags drafted Lawrence, Minshew requested a trade, noting that he wanted to compete for a starting job. He was eventually shipped to the Philadelphia Eagles, effectively putting an end to Minshewmania. The former Washington State Cougar went on to spend two seasons in Philly, and more recently, he kept the Indianapolis Colts in the thick of the playoff race in relief of Anthony Richardson.
In retrospect, Gardner Minshew gave Jaguars fans something to root for, and that, he will never be forgotten, even if his stint in Jacksonville only lasted two years.
1. Telvin Smith, linebacker - Round 5, pick 144, 2014
Gardner Minshew was certainly an icon in Jacksonville but he didn't earn a Pro Bowl nod during his stint with the Jaguars. He eventually got one with the Colts but as an alternate, and that was after several quarterbacks had declined the invitation. That said, another draft gem made the Pro Bowl, and that was none other than linebacker Telvin Smith.
A fifth-round pick in 2014, Smith was quick to earn a featured role as a rookie, appearing in 16 games with nine starts and registering two sacks, one forced fumble, and four passes defensed. He was just getting started, and the former Florida State Seminole followed it up with an even better sophomore campaign.
By the end of 2015, Smith had established himself as a mainstay of the Jaguars' defense but his best season came in 2017, when he made the Pro Bowl on the strength of three interceptions and a fumble returned for a touchdown. The Georgia native had another productive year in 2018 but he chose to retire afterward, citing the need to get his world in order."
Not long after he hung up the cleats, Smith dealt with legal issues. Eventually, though, he hinted at a potential return to the gridiron in a cryptic message on social media but nothing happened. Beyond the post, he's stayed away from the spotlight, but that shouldn't diminish his accomplishments during his stint with the Jags, as brief as it was.