Top 5 worst first-round draft picks of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the last 20 years

The NFL draft has always been a bit of a sore subject for the fans of the Jacksonville Jaguars due to the amount of flops they've had despite the fact that they've picked in the top 10 of the draft 20 times in the franchise’s 27 years. They have also had eight top-five picks in just the last ten years.

Simply, you can't hit that level of failure in NFL without serious misses in the draft. It is a disturbing and dubious draft history resulting from an inept front office. I mean, even a broken clock is right twice a day. These failures rest solely on the shoulders of former general managers, Gene Smith, David Caldwell

Trent Baalke has only been the general manager for two years and has used the number one overall picks on Trevor Lawrence and Travon Walker in the last two drafts. The former seems to be a rare successful pick, and it's too early for the latter to tell, so Balke gets a reprieve from this list for now.

With that being said, let's revisit the top five worst first-round draft picks of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the last 20 years and the players that could have changed the organization's fate. 

No. 5 top worst 1st-round pick in Jacksonville Jaguars since 2000: Taven Bryan

In 2017 the Jaguars had a surprisingly successful year, with a lights-out defense led by second-round pick Myles Jack. As a result, the team barely missed the Super Bowl, and I say barely because we all know Jack was not down. 

This success had the Jaguars drafting outside the top ten for the first time in a decade. No worries, though, David Caldwell would botch this pick anyway. With the 29th pick in the 2018 draft, the Jags selected the University of Florida defensive tackle, Taven Bryan.

Bryan played four seasons for the Jaguars, occasionally seeing a snap, before joining the Cleveland Browns in 2021 and signing with AFC South rival Indianapolis Colts earlier this year. He totaled 61 tackles and 8.5 sacks for the Jaguars in four seasons. Bryan's approximate value (AV) assigned by pro football reference was 17. 

Then with the 32nd pick via a trade with the New England Patriots, the Baltimore Ravens selected Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has vaulted the Ravens to a perennial playoff team, an MVP, and 101 touchdowns over the last five years.

Jackson scored a total of 140 rushing and passing touchdowns in four years. Compare that to the Jaguars' six quarterbacks only throwing 83 touchdowns in that span. Currently, Lamar Jackson has an AV of 74, making it a -57 AV for Caldwell's pick.