The 2013 NFL Draft transformed 32 NFL rosters. Around The League will examine the aftershocks in our Draft Fallout series. Next up: The Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Big Question: Did the Jaguars rebuild their secondary in one draft?
After cutting ties with three veteran cornerbacks and strong safety Dawan Landy, new general manager David Caldwell used five of his eight draft picks on defensive backs. Coming over from the Seattle Seahawks, head coach Gus Bradley wants his secondary to be big, physical and rangy.
"We're going to be aggressive in nature," Bradley said, "and the aggressiveness comes from being able to play press."
Second-rounder Jonathan Cyprien should be an immediate improvement on Landry at strong safety. Cyprien's size, athleticism, range, ball skills and obvious leadership made him the star of the rookie minicamp.
Defensive backs coach DeWayne Walker compares third-round cornerback Dwayne Gratz to San Francisco 49ers veteran Carlos Rogers, whom Walker coached with the Washington Redskins. A prototypical press corner, Gratz is a near lock to open the season as a starter.
Sixth-round safety Josh Evans and seventh-round cornerback Demetrius McCray joined Cyprien and Gratz as the starting backfield for a time in rookie minicamp. With veteran Dwight Lowery at free safety, that won't be the lineup entering the season. But the Jaguars' website expects all four of those draft picks to "play a lot -- and soon."
Caldwell may not have addressed his quarterback quandary, but he did an excellent job of restocking his roster in the defensive backfield to suit Bradley's system.
Three Takeaways
- The Jaguars didn't see a no-brainer franchise quarterback available, which means Blaine Gabbert is entering a make-or-break season. The coaching staff is counting on Gabbert to have more time to throw this season, as Luke Joeckel and Eugene Monroe potentially form one of the league's top offensive tackle duos.
Breer: It's a new day in Jacksonville
After his debut draft with the Jaguars, GM David Caldwell reveals the new regime's unique approach to Albert Breer. **More ...**
As NFL.com's Albert Breer points out, when given 2.5 seconds or less to throw, Gabbert was 35th of 38 quarterbacks in passer rating and 34th in completion percentage. When given 2.6 seconds or more to throw, Gabbert was 13th out of 38 quarterbacks in passer rating and ninth in completion percentage.
- Denard Robinson is going to be a factor, handling multiple roles as a play-making rookie. Robinson saw time at tailback and wide receiver in his lone practice (he went back to Michigan for graduating ceremonies), and he's a candidate to return kicks.
- The Jaguars failed to pick up a pass rusher, which isn't as surprising as conventional wisdom would have you believe. They're counting on veteran Jason Babin and 2012 second-rounder Andre Branch to fill the important "Leo" role opposite Jeremy Mincey.
Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.
