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

No. 1 top worst 1st-round pick in Jacksonville Jaguars since 2000: Matt Jones

It's hard to imagine a worse draft outcome than the Jaguar's blunder in 2012, but here we are at the No. 1 spot on the all-time worst first-round picks by the Jaguars in the last 20 years. 

The 2002 draft had four quarterbacks selected in the first round. One Heisman finalist passer was in the mix for the Jaguars but as a wide receiver. This plan seemed suspect from the get-go. 

With the 21st puck in 2005, the Jags selected Arkansas quarterback Matt Jones to play wide receiver. Jaguar's fans did not respond well to this idea, and Jones had no experience as a receiver in college. The Jaguars were so set on making a splash in the draft they completely wasted a draft pick, as there was no need for a former quarterback to join the wide receiver room. 

Jones was Athletic and 6-foot-6 but was lackluster and only mildly productive. Nevertheless, in four years in the NFL, Jones piled up 2,100 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns in a short-lived and shameful career in Jacksonville. He was cut from the team after his second violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy and a parole violation. Jones had an AV of 23 by the time he was let go.

As fate would have it, just two picks later, a projected top quarterback was tumbling down the draft board for unknown reasons and was selected. A draft splash was made when the Green Bay Packers selected California quarterback Aaron Rodgers to back up the legendary Brett Farve. 

After a few seasons on the bench, Rodgers would get his shot under center, and a Hall-of-Fame career was launched. Rodgers has already been fitted for his gold blazer despite just being traded to the Jets for the 2023 season. The 39-year-old Rodgers has amassed 59,000 yards and 475 touchdowns and still counting. This guy is a franchise maker, just watch him in action.

Rodgers has faced the Jaguars just four times in his career with a 96.8 rating, 988 yards, and seven touchdowns. It's safe to say the following 16 top ten picks of the Jaguars could have been avoided had the front office been astute and drafted the four-time NFL MVP. The entire history of the Jaguars would be vastly different, and they would probably have one of the NFL's highest winning percentages as a franchise. 

Rodgers has an AV of 238, subtract the abysmal 23 of Jones, and that is a measurable -215 point AV miss from the 2005 draft. It is making me ill to think of what could have been, Rodgers getting added to the pride of Jacksonville after a Hall-of-Fame career for the Jags. 

Now here we are, heading into the 2023 draft. While it's hard to let go of the disasters of the past, the future is bright. What happened has happened for a reason and couldn't have happened any other way. Finally, it all led to this, and we got Trevor Lawrence, the prince that was promised.